


The Marmoran Generals

by poorrichardslegacy



Series: The Galra Chronicles [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Original Character(s), Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 69,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poorrichardslegacy/pseuds/poorrichardslegacy
Summary: This work ties directly into Rejected by the Galra, and covers the journey of Lotor's Generals (Acxa, Zethrid, Ezor) as the join the Blade of Marmora and work their way rapidly up the ranks to become senior leaders within the Blades. It picks up at the end of Chapter 7 of Rejected by the Galra and runs in parallel with Chapters 8, 9, and 10 of that work. It dovetails back into Rejected by the Galra at the beginning of Chapter 11 of that work.Ezor and Zethrid put the pieces of their shattered relationship back together and discover the power of forgiveness the hard way. Acxa endures a forced separation from Keith and her fragile confidence takes a major hit. The story of her journey over the course of the following eight months tells how she grows from the immature brat who joins the Blade of Marmora to the confident and unflappable Marmoran Senior Commander who makes her way to Earth to reunite with the love of her life and aid the Paladins.Chapter 11 Contact posted 4 January 2020UPDATE 25 APRIL 2020: With the publication of Return of the Prince, the first work in the Galra Chronicles series, four chapters were updated. Please refer to the Notes for details.NOTE: This work is complete
Relationships: Acxa/Keith (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron)
Series: The Galra Chronicles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1522115
Comments: 54
Kudos: 19





	1. Introduction to the Work

**Author's Note:**

> 25 April 2020 Update: The following chapters were updated:  
* Chapter 2 First Steps  
* Chapter 3 Lessons of the Past  
* Chapter 4 Trial by Fire (Acxa)  
* Chapter 11 Contact
> 
> I do not own Voltron Legendary Defender nor do I own any of the characters. Voltron and its characters are the property of World Entertainment Productions (WEP). Voltron Legendary Defender is a production of DreamWorks. I am making no profit off of this work. This story is an alternate universe created strictly for fun and to explore the possibilities of what could have been.
> 
> IMPORTANT: An awareness-raising note to my readers (present and future)  
I do not consent to my work being hosted by any third-party site or app. This piece of fanfiction ‘The Marmoran Generals’ (in the series ‘The Galra Chronicles’) has been posted ONLY in archiveofourown.org under the pseudonym poorrichardslegacy.  
Please note that this work was written and posted purely for entertainment purposes, and NOT for any monetary gain. This means that you, as the reader, DO NOT have to pay to read this fanfic.  
Also, if you find this fanfic on any other app or site or under any other name, in whole or in part, it has been reposted without my permission.

There is a point within _Rejected by the Galra_ where Keith and Acxa part out of necessity to go their separate ways. Keith’s journey with the other Paladins through the Galactic Void, their return to Earth, and their initial encounters with Sendak’s Fire of Purification are chronicled in that work. The journey of Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor with the Blade of Marmora is not.

A gap exists in their story from the time the Generals successfully complete the Trials of Marmora until Keith and Acxa are reunited at the Galaxy Garrison. My original intent when writing _Rejected by the Galra_ was to cover this gap, but as I outlined the story arc of the Generals I realized I had enough new material to justify breaking it out into a new work. Also, including the Blade of Marmora arc further complicated an already complicated narrative flow. So I left the gap in place, with the intent that I would come back and close it with that new work.

And, here we are.

_The Marmoran Generals_ tells the story of Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid and their growth as individuals and leaders through their experiences over an 8-month period with the Blade of Marmora. It picks up the day after the events detailed in Chapter 7 Trials of the Generals and runs as a parallel story arc to Chapters 8, 9, and 10 of _Rejected by the Galra_ until Keith and Acxa are reunited at the beginning of Chapter 11 Heart of the Lion. If you haven’t read _Rejected by the Galra_ I invite you to please do so as it sets the full and proper context for this work.

The key themes of _The Marmoran Generals_ are redemption and growth. The ability of someone, with the help of the right people, to turn their lives around and grow as individuals, leaders, friends, and lovers.

Let us set the basic context of this work. At the start of their voyage to Earth, Acxa and Keith are both emotionally immature. Over the course of the next four months, spent in close quarters on the Black Lion, they help each other to grow as people and they fall in love. Keith becomes her rock (and she his), and when they separate her confidence, still fragile, takes a major hit. The story of her journey over the course of the following eight months tells how she grows from the immature brat who joins the Blade of Marmora to the confident and unflappable Marmoran Senior Commander who makes her way to Earth to find the love of her life (Keith) and aid the Paladins.

Zethrid and Ezor experience their own crises. Both are physically and emotionally maimed after their battle with Keith and Acxa ends with the explosion in the cargo bay of their cruiser (_Rejected by the Galra_, Chapter 3 The Way Forward). Through a twist of fate, they reconcile with the help of their former adversaries. Their growth, along with more of their back stories and personal relationship with each other, are told in this work. 

We learn more about Krolia and Kolivan’s backstories. How Kolivan recruits her into the Blade of Marmora. The misadventures of Krolia’s first mission with the Blade of Marmora. How Kolivan becomes leader of the Blade of Marmora.

Acxa meets Krolia's brother. A crusty no-nonsense veteran of the Blade of Marmora, he is also Keith's uncle and clan elder.

And there will be random appearances of Keith and the other Paladins, to maintain the tie-in to Rejected by the Galra . Although they are literally light years apart this work illustrates how, for Keith and Acxa, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

It’s an ambitious project, and the content is all original. I’m only borrowing the characters from Voltron Legendary Defender and inventing a few of my own. 

This work is written with love for all these characters. I hope it comes through in what you read. My goal is to give you a good story.

You get to decide if I achieved that goal.


	2. First Steps (Acxa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day after Acxa successfully completes the Trials of Marmora. She meets with Krolia and Kolivan and comes to realize things are not what she expected. Kolivan makes a promise to Acxa, but he expects something in return. Later, Kolivan shares with Krolia his reflections on how he met Keith and how he came to become his trainer. He also shares his thoughts on how he plans to use the Generals going forward.

**Setting Expectations**

Blade of Marmora Headquarters

She strides down the hallway with a purpose, wearing her poker face, hoping that the others don’t pick up on what she’s feeling. Gritting her teeth, she fights back the pain that jolts her body with each step. The pain caused by the battering she absorbed yesterday during her successfully completed Trials of Marmora.

The once mighty Galra General, second in command to Prince Lotor, is now reduced to Acolyte status. A Private in the rebuilding ranks of the Blade of Marmora. And she would have it no other way.

She is on her way to meet with Blademaster Kolivan and his second in command, Senior Commander Krolia. Kolivan wasn’t keen on having Acxa and her sister Generals join the Blades, and he wasn’t shy about letting them know that. But Krolia saw something in them that the others didn’t see and she along with her son, the Black Paladin, persuaded Kolivan to give them a shot. When they all passed their Trials, Kolivan’s attitude towards them softened, but it still isn’t what Acxa would call warm and fuzzy.

She’s not sure Kolivan would know what warm and fuzzy was even if it bit him on the rump.

Approaching his office, she sees the door is guarded by two of the Blades she fought yesterday. Both are showing facial contusions from the blows she landed, and one is holding their ribs. She tenses up as she approaches, but upon making eye contact both nod to her in recognition.

“They’re expecting you.”

She breathes a sigh of relief. “_Thanks. And…sorry about_…” she points to her face making a circling motion, “…_that_.”

The guard who responds happens to be the first one she fought in her Trials. The one who taunted her so viciously. Today, his tone is markedly different and much more collegial. “This…” also making a circling motion with her finger, “…will heal.” With that, the door opens, and she enters the office.”

Kolivan's Office, Blade of Marmora Headquarters

As her eyes adjust to the lighting in the room, she sees Kolivan seated at his desk with Krolia standing off to his right.

“You wished to speak with us, Acxa?”

Standing at the position of attention, she bows her head momentarily and gives them the Galra salute as a sign of deference and respect. _“Yes, Blademaster. Senior Commander. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, given I’m only an Acolyte.”_

On the one hand her formality surprises him, but on the other hand he expected it given her prior position and background as Lotor’s second-in-command. She’s clearly well-versed in the fine details of military courtesy and protocol. He stands and returns the courtesy by saluting Acxa in return.

“There is no shame in being an Acolyte, Acxa. I was one, once. I’m much older than you, but I’m not so old that I’ve forgotten what being an acolyte feels like. I’m available to any Blade who wishes to speak with me. What is on your mind that you needed to speak with both of us so urgently?”

_“I wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity to join the Blade of Marmora. And, I must tell you that I will be leaving soon. There is something I must do.”_

Kolivan is more confused than surprised by her request. “I’m sorry…leaving? Leaving for where?”

She expected him to ask why and harp at her about that. She was not prepared for him to ask where she was going. To be honest, she has no clue herself. “_Leaving for…I need to go to…I…have to find someone.”_

Kolivan looks to his right to Krolia, who gives him a knowing look. Turning back to Acxa, he asks, “And whom do you have to find.”

This question she is prepared to answer. “_Keith. He and the Paladins are on their way back to Earth. I told him I would find him, after I passed my Trials, and after I completed some missions for the Blades.”_

“I see.” He looks to Krolia again, then turns back to Acxa. “And what is the reason for this need to find him?”

_“They are trying to locate a replacement for the Castle of Lions. I promised him I would find him, to help the Paladins in their search.”_

“Hmmm…” He steps out from behind his desk and approaches her. Standing before her, looking her in the eye, he crosses his hands behind his back. And stares at her for a full dobosh, never breaking eye contact.

Still standing at attention and staring straight ahead, she is clearly unnerved by Kolivan’s stare. She does her best to swallow the lump in her throat. And she steels herself for what she anticipates he’ll say next.

When he finally does speak, it’s with a normal volume, but his tone is very pointed. “Let me make sure I understood what you just told me.”

That tone is very disconcerting to her, and she begins to sputter incoherently. _“Blademaster, I…”_

“You just said that you are going to leave the Blades, after going through all the trouble and pain of successfully completing the Trials of Marmora, to look for Keith somewhere out in space…”

_“…yes, but…_

“and you have no idea where he is at the present time.”

_“…no, but…”_

“You just know he’s on his way to Earth, so, what, you’re just going to hang out around Earth until he shows up?”

_“…not exactly, but…”_

He holds his hand up to silence her and scolds her in a firm tone of voice. “But nothing. You’re babbling and it’s very unbecoming.”

Stung by his words, she grits her teeth and begins to sweat, convinced he’s about to throw her out on her ear for being so cheeky and unprepared to answer his questions. Her fists clenched tightly at her side, she closes her eyes momentarily and does her best to regain her composure.

Her sputtering stopped, Kolivan points to a chair and speaks to her in a fatherly tone of voice. “Acxa…please sit down. We need to talk.”

As Acxa sits upright and stiff, convinced she’s lost any credibility she might have earned from yesterday’s trials, Kolivan leans back against the front of his desk and crosses his arms.

“Acxa, I’m not going to press you on why you want to make an insane leap out into the blackness of space to look for Keith when you have no idea where he is or how long it’s going to take him to get to his destination. I believe I already know why, and it has little to do with helping him find a replacement for the Castle of Lions.”

Acxa shoots Krolia a glaring look, which Kolivan picks up on. “Krolia just told me the facts. I drew my own conclusions. You have feelings for Keith. I understand that. Just as I can understand why he would have feelings for you. But this is a cold business we are engaged in. There is little room for emotional attachment. It must be mission first. As members of the Blade of Marmora we must keep our emotions in check or innocent people will die. We must maintain clear focus, or those we care about will suffer or die. Or, you will die. I know you don’t want that. And I don’t think Keith wants that. Am I wrong?”

_“No…Blademaster.”_

“I didn’t think so. You are allowing your feelings for Keith to cloud your judgement, to the point you are willing to take unnecessary risks. Risks that will probably end up getting one or both of you killed.”

Acxa flushes with embarrassment as she absorbs Kolivan’s scolding.

“Acxa you have so much raw talent as a leader and as a warrior. You display great discipline at times, yet you are still undisciplined in so many ways. You are too easily rattled emotionally, which creates blind spots when fighting your enemy or making critical decisions. You think you know more than you do about what it really means to be a leader. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

_“Yes, Blademaster.” _She stares down at her feet, flustered, feeling ashamed of herself. The verbal beatdown has her on the verge of tears, yet she knows she can’t show what she’s feeling.

After the dressing down he just gave her, she believes that Kolivan has lost what little faith he may have had in her. But what he says next takes her by complete surprise.

He speaks to her in a soft voice. “Acxa, look at me.”

She looks up at him, doing her best to hide the emotional turmoil she is going through. First the separation from Keith, then enduring the distrust of the Blades which carried over into her Trials. Her success in the Trials gave her a sense of hope that she’d won over Kolivan. She now believes it was a false hope, and that the Blademaster, the one person she thought could help her, now thinks she is not worth the trouble. She does her best to hide these emotions, but her eyes are the windows to her soul.

And Kolivan can see right through those windows. He can tell he’s gotten through to her.

“This is a cold business, but we are not heartless or completely devoid of emotion. There is a time and a place to express how we feel to those we care about. Never forget that. We are the Blades of Marmora. The honor and dignity we possess drive our actions. We keep our promises. I respect the promise you made to Keith. I intend to help you honor and keep that promise. But, there are things you need to do first, and there are some facts you need to know.”

As a very confused Acxa looks up at him, Kolivan pulls up a celestial display.

“Krolia and I mapped out Keith’s course to Earth. If we assume they took the shortest route, they are passing through the Galactic Void. Since they are traveling at reduced power, it will take them 8 to 12 phoebs to get there. I know that’s a long time but searching for the Paladins in the Void is pointless. There is nothing there to provide navigational grounding. You will only get yourself lost.”

“There is one other thing you should be aware of. We’re picking up anomalous signals from Earth’s star system, and we’re not yet certain what they mean. We’re deploying long-range scouts to investigate. It will take them a phoeb to get there, traveling at hyperspeed. Once the scouts are in position, we’ll know what those signals are.”

_“Anomalous signals? Anomalous in what way?”_

“They aren’t the type of signals we expected to see coming from that star system. The signal frequencies are in the range used by Galra space fleets. We’ve not picked up any clear signals that indicate a Galra fleet is the source of the signals. So we can’t tell if these signals are truly something to be concerned about, or if it is simply space noise on those frequencies. That’s not uncommon, it’s happened before. Once the scouts are in place, we’ll know more.”

This news is unsettling to Acxa, and she’s not sure why. Kolivan appears to be downplaying it, but her gut tells her something is terribly wrong.

“Acxa, Krolia told me how Lotor trained you, Ezor, and Zethrid for four decaphoebs. From what she told me, it was an impressive program. But it was incomplete, because you did not learn all you need to know about maintaining self-discipline and emotional objectivity. That takes decaphoebs of experience to master, and your experiences to date lack the proper context. So, I propose this. I offer you the opportunity to complete your training. To sharpen your skills as a well-rounded leader. You want to help Keith and the other Paladins? Finish your training and become the leader you are clearly meant to be.”

“Should you agree, Krolia will be your trainer. She will instruct you in the ways of the Blades and will teach you combat using your Blade. There is a rigor and discipline to blade-play that will be helpful in your decision making and in other duties. Normally she would also instruct you in marksmanship, but your skills in that area are far superior to anyone currently in the Blades so putting you through that training is pointless. You will go out on missions with her, to gain experience, round out your training, and earn the trust of your fellow Blades.”

“In the meantime, we will keep watch for the Paladins. Once they are detected…we’ll determine the best time and place for you to rejoin them.”

“The choice is yours, Acxa. If you still want to walk out that door and embark on your search, I won’t stop you. But if you agree to stay and allow Krolia to train you…I promise you, you will find him.”

_“Blademaster…that is very generous. But…why? You hardly know me and…it doesn’t sound like you have much faith in me.” _Her tone is that of someone who is confused and defeated.

Kolivan notes the tone in her voice and knows it’s time to shift his approach. He’s got her attention. Now it’s time to close the deal.

“I pride myself on being a good judge of character, but I was hasty in my judgement of you on the trip here. All I saw when I looked at you was an evil underling of Lotor who was responsible for so much suffering and misery. I expected you to fail in your Trials, but you didn’t. You persevered."

“You showed me something I didn’t know was there. I got a glimpse of the real Acxa. The Acxa that Keith told me about after your experience together on Bralyar IV. I liked what I saw. You are a far different person than the one I thought I would see. Watching you in your Trials, and hearing Krolia’s report on you…I believe the Supreme Spirit sent you here for a reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but it’s up to us to bring out the best in you.”

“You said I didn’t have any faith in you. Quite the contrary. I have a great deal of faith in you. I believe you will do great things. Prove to me that my faith in you is well-placed.”

Krolia steps forward and invites Acxa to stand. “If you stay, your training will commence tomorrow, but your first sessions will not be what you expect. We have a mission to carry out, and I want you to plan it and lead it. I need to see how well you perform under real-life circumstances so that I know what I’m dealing with. I saw evidence of your abilities as a leader when you led the takedown of Zethrid’s cruiser and rescued the Paladins on that volcanic rock. I need to see more so that I can craft your training regimen properly.”

Feeling very humbled and puzzled by what she just heard, she salutes Kolivan. _“I will stay, Blademaster. Thank you…for opening my eyes. And…for your faith in me. I will prove it is well-placed.”_

She then turns to salute Krolia. _“I’ll be ready, Krolia.”_

“Good. Report to the training facility at 0600 hours tomorrow. Your training starts then.

**Rebuilding the Blades**

As Acxa departs and closes the door behind her, Kolivan can’t help but let a small smile show. “She reminds me of a firebrand I recruited and trained many decaphoebs ago. She was just as raw and undisciplined, and she possessed the same limitless potential I see in Acxa. And like Acxa, she thought she knew more than she did, and had more to learn than she realized.”

He turns and smirks towards Krolia. “You know who I’m referring to, right.”

Krolia crosses her arms, huffs in mock indignation, and turns her head from him just a bit. “I’m sure I have no idea who you are talking about.”

“Of course, you don’t. Speaking of firebrands, have I told you how it came to be that Meltok and I became Keith's elders?”

“No, and I’ve been wondering about that. Meltok I understand, with him being Keith's uncle. You...I thought you did it as a favor to me.”

“Well, yes, that’s partly true. There’s a bit more to it than that.”

This is the first time Kolivan and Krolia have had the opportunity to talk about the circumstances behind Keith’s joining the Blade of Marmora, and his subsequent extraction of his mother from Warlord Ranveig’s base. It’s a conversation Krolia’s been looking forward to for some time.

“Ulaz told us about Shiro and how he and the new Paladins of Voltron were the great hope to defeating the Galra Empire. None of us believed him, especially Antok. He was very suspicious of the whole great hope scenario, so when Shiro arrived with Keith at Blade headquarters using information Ulaz gave him, Antok was more watchful than usual. He was the one who noticed Keith was carrying a Blade.”

“When Antok pinned Keith down and secured the Blade, I was upset with Shiro because I had specifically told them to come unarmed. When Antok unsheathed the Blade…I was furious. I recognized it as yours in an instant. For a moment I thought he had killed you and taken it as a trophy. But when I saw how skinny he was, I knew he didn’t defeat you in battle. That’s when I became enraged. Antok wanted to kill them on the spot, and it wouldn’t have taken much for me to allow him to do that. But, I satisfied myself with ordering them to leave the station.”

“Keith however was very persistent. To shut him up, I offered to let him go through the Trials of Marmora. Since I assumed he was non-Galra, I fully expected he would fail and die. I did not expect him to survive his Trials, much less successfully complete them. When he unlocked your Blade…I knew instantly who he was. He was the son you told me about. The one you had to leave behind.”

Krolia smiles at the memory of hearing about Keith. “Kolivan, when I got your message saying Keith was alive and was with the Blades…I have to admit I was beside myself. I wanted to leave Ranveig’s base in the worst way to come to headquarters to meet him, but I knew that wouldn’t work.”

“Knowing who he was, I took it upon myself to train him. I pulled Meltok in to help with that as soon as I could. I look at you as I would my own daughter, Krolia. Which, in a way, makes Keith my grandson. I wasn’t going to let just anyone train him. If his mother wasn’t here to do it, then his uncle and I would.”

“You were brash and impertinent when we first met. It took me quite a while to break you of some bad habits. And in the case of Keith…let’s just say he is definitely his mother’s son.”

“Humph…So why did you send Keith to retrieve me? He was still brash and emotionally undisciplined then.”

“Simple. He deserved to know who his mother is. And…you deserved to see your son again. With Ladnok and Trugg fighting over Ranveig’s base after his death at the Kral Zera, I needed to get you out. The extraction called for someone with superior skill as a pilot, and he’s the best pilot we had. Still is for that matter.”

“And I am forever grateful to you for that. But your actions seem a bit hypocritical. What you did seems to be driven by emotions. It’s ok for you to have emotional attachments, but not the rest of us? You should have left me on the base and not risked another Blade to extract me.”

“I said there was a time and place for emotional attachments. I never said we couldn’t have them. In your case, I needed to extract a senior leader. I was afraid you would blow yourself up along with the base to keep that weapon from falling into the wrong hands. We’d already lost Antok. I couldn’t afford to lose you too.”

“Is that the only reason you got me out of there, Kolivan?”

He closes his eyes and pauses for a moment before answering. “No. I didn’t want to lose a close friend. I’ve lost too many close friends in this damned war.”

The sincerity and concern in Kolivan’s voice reveals his caring side, and Krolia is touched by his words. “Thank you, Kolivan.”

Krolia looks intently at the door. “So, what are your plans for the Generals? You were harsh on Acxa a few doboshes ago. Her confidence is very fragile right now, and you really didn’t help matters by being so brusque with her.”

“Acxa is strong and resilient. She’ll bounce back. I needed to get her attention. And, I believe I did. As for my plans for the Generals…”

Kolivan pauses as he chooses his words deliberately. “As you are painfully aware, we need to rebuild our ranks. Just as we need solders, we need experienced leaders to lead them. All three of the Generals are seasoned fighters and experienced leaders. Each is undisciplined in their own unique way, and Spirits know they’ve got a lot of bad habits to break. But they’ve also shown the heart and the fighting spirit we are looking for. My biggest concern with the rebuilding of the Blades is filling the leadership void. Getting the three of them may be the break we need to address that area.”

“We need to train them in the ways of the Blades. To make sure they know who we are and what we stand for. And just as important, why we fight. My hope is that with the proper training and with the experiences we can give them in Blade operations, we can promote them into senior leadership positions.”

Krolia agrees with Kolivan’s desired approach, but she also wants to make sure he is going into the effort fully understanding what they are up against. “Kolivan, you do realize what you are saying, right? You are asking a lot, not only from the Generals, but from the other Blades as well. Those three women were taken in by Lotor as girls at a young age and indoctrinated with hate. They were taught so many bad habits…I’m not saying it will be impossible to break them of those habits, but it will take a heroic effort on their part to change them.”

“As for what you’re asking of the rest of the Blades…everyone knows who the Generals are and what they did. Yes, they completed their Trials, and that counts for so much, but it may take a long time for the rank-and-file Blades to trust them! It’s one thing for them to be soldiers in our ranks, but to train them to be leaders?”

Kolivan believes in his approach and stands his ground. “I know what I’m asking of everyone. The fact that they successfully completed their Trials proves that the Generals, in their hearts, are good people. They’ve been grossly deceived and mislead throughout most of their lives. They’ve endured and survived hardships that would have crushed most people. Yes, it will take a heroic effort on their part to change their habits and behavior, but I believe they not only can do it, they want to do it. Or they wouldn’t be here.”

“Give the rank-and-file Blades credit, Krolia. Yes, it will take time for trust to grow between them and the Generals, as it should. But I’m confident it will grow. And I know just the person to help you make that happen.”

"Who did you have in mind, Kolivan?"

"Someone you've known all your life, Krolia."

Krolia ponders that statement for a tick, until she realizes who he is referring to. "You can't be serious...can you?"

"I am very serious. He did a good job with Keith. I'm sure Acxa will take to him and view him as an elder, just as your son has."

"I don't know...putting two stubborn people together...it could blow up the way pure sodium blows up when it's tossed into water..."

“And you think your son isn't stubborn? That seems to be a trait all you Dormonds share..." Kolivan pauses for a moment, mulling over what he's about to say. "Krolia, I have a question for you. There is something I don’t understand. If you are so concerned about the success of what I’m proposing, why did you vouch for the Generals before we split from the Paladins? And why did you tell me repeatedly you wanted to be the one to train Acxa?”

“Those are two questions, Kolivan.”

Kolivan gives her a low growl. “Krolia…!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist…I spent four phoebs with Acxa and Keith in the Black Lion, and I got to know her quite well. She’s a bright, intelligent, and talented young woman, a powerful warrior, and a brilliant if at times irrational leader. She trusts me, and frankly after what I saw from Acxa during those four phoebs, I trust her. With my life.”

“But she still has some growing up to do. Being with Lotor helped her develop in some ways, but it held her back in others. One moment she is as sound a leader as you could ask her to be. The next she’s…not. She is a raw talent with so much potential, so much to offer. I want to help her develop that potential.”

“I also saw how she and Keith became close. Oh, they tried to hide it, but I knew what was going on. Acxa actually talked to me once about her feelings, but that was in the first phoeb of the trip and we never talked about it again. Keith never said a word, but he didn’t have to. I’m his mother. He can’t hide anything from me.”

Krolia recalls a vision from the time she and Keith spent in the Quantum Abyss. She is the only one who saw it, as Keith was sleeping at the time. “Besides, I want to keep an eye on the person who will …” She stops, realizing she’s in danger of saying too much.

“Who will…what, Krolia?”

“It’s nothing, Kolivan. I’ve said too much already. I have to go now.”

Kolivan doesn’t press her on the matter, but as he watches her leave he suspects Krolia knows far more than she is letting on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter focuses on Zethrid and Ezor's first steps and first training sessions with the Blades. Their backstories are revealed (it is one of two backstory chapters for these two), and they deal with some issues in their relationship.


	3. Lessons of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor reflect on their past and the events that led them to becoming Blades of Marmora. The back stories of Zethrid and Ezor, from their childhood to their arrival at the orphanage on Corillia are related as the pair go through their first grueling training sessions as Blades. The personal relationship between Zethrid and Ezor shows cracks, and they struggle to deal with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of two chapters in this work that dive into the backstories of Zethrid and Ezor. And even though it's been four months since the pair were reunited, their relationship is on rocky ground.

**The Morning After (First Day)**

Ezor and Zethrid's Quarters, Blade of Marmora Headquarters

The knocking is faint at first. Ezor, half-asleep, listens as the knocking continues. She reaches across to Zethrid’s bed and smacks her in the arm. “Stop making that racket, I’m trying to sleep.”

Partially awakened in the middle of a dream in which she is battling the giant carnivorous spiders of Abraxas IV, she jumps out of bed, grabs the bedside lamp, and starts swinging it like a sword to fend off the dream-spiders. The crashing of numerous loose items and of a water glass as it smashes against the floor snaps her into full wakefulness. Staring down at the carnage she wrought on the bedside table, Zethrid turns and sees Ezor sitting up in in her bed glaring at her, with her arms crossed across the front of her nightshirt.

“Zethrid, what in the name of the Spirits are you doing? Why are you making so much racket when I’m trying to sleep?!”

The knocking at the door becomes louder and more insistent. Still looking at Ezor, Zethrid points to it with her thumb and says, “I think someone is at the door.”

“That’s no reason to wreck the place!”

_“Zethrid? Ezor? It’s Acxa. Open the door, please.”_

“Zethrid, just put the lamp back on the table and pick everything up. I’ll go see what Miss ‘It’s-Never-Too-Early-To-Wake-Your-Friends’ needs.”

Ezor opens the door and sees a very agitated Acxa about to knock yet again. “Acxa…what’s wrong? Why are you…”

Before Ezor can finish her thought, Acxa pushes her way in. _“Good, you’re up. I need to talk to…”_ She pauses, seeing Zethrid picking up the last of the items from the nightstand. _“Zethrid…what happened?”_

“I thought you were a carnivorous spider, so…”

_“Huh?”_ Acxa turns to Ezor, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

Ezor just rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Don’t ask…What’s wrong, Acxa? You seem upset.”

_“Not upset, I just have a lot on my mind, and I need to tell you both about it. I just came back from my meeting with Kolivan and Krolia.”_

“Good grief they are as crazy as you are. Doesn’t anyone around here sleep? So…did you tell them that you are leaving to look for Keith? How did they take that?”

_“I tried to tell him. Kolivan can be very persuasive. He told me he has plans for all three of us, so, now I’m staying.”_

“Plans? That seems kind of sinister. What kind of plans?”

_“He didn’t mean it in a sinister way. What he said made a lot of sense, even though he didn’t go into detail. The Blades are rebuilding. They need leaders as much as they need soldiers. It sounds like he not only wants us to help with the rebuilding of the Blades, he wants us to be leaders in the Blades.”_

Zethrid, listening intently in the conversation, now joins them. “They must be desperate if they are looking at the three of us to be leaders in the Blades.” Seeing less-than-pleased looks coming from Ezor and Acxa, she raises her hands, palms outward. “Relax…I was just joking!”

_“They plan on putting all of us through Blade training, to teach us the ways and fighting techniques of the Blades. My sessions start at 0600 tomorrow.”_

“Hmm…that’s late for you.”

_“Give me a break, Ezor. Seriously, has anyone approached the two of you about training?”_

Zethrid stretches. “No, but then it’s ridiculously early. I doubt anyone except you, Kolivan, and Krolia are even awake.”

Right on cue, a heavy pounding on the door echoes through their quarters.

Zethrid looks at Acxa and Ezor, who both shrug their shoulders. “Scratch that theory. Who the heck can this be?”

She opens the door and sees two Blade Master Chiefs standing at the doorway to their quarters. The larger of the two greets her. “Good morning, Zethrid. We have a message for you and Ezor from Blademaster Kolivan and Senior Commander Krolia. May we come in? We won’t be but a dobosh.”

Zethrid stands aside and invites them in. “Of course.”

Entering the quarters, the Master Chiefs greet Ezor and Acxa. “Good morning, Acolytes.” The Master Chief speaking is the first Blade that Zethrid fought in her Trial. The big one who proved to be far faster than Zethrid. The other Master Chief is first one who fought Ezor in her Trial. This Master Chief is a half breed as she is of the same racial mixture as Ezor. Ezor had succeeded in wounding her in her Trial, but in the end the Master Chief proved to be a stronger knife fighter than she was.

“I am Master Chief P’tal, and I’ve been assigned to you as your trainer, Zethrid. This is Master Chief Fromak, and she’s been assigned to you as your trainer, Ezor. Acxa, I understand that Senior Commander Krolia will be your trainer.”

_“Yes, that’s correct.”_

“Blademaster Kolivan once again expresses his congratulations to all of you on the successful completion of the Trials of Marmora. Senior Commander Krolia has overall responsibility for training all three of you. Fromak and I report to her in that capacity. As such, she wishes us to inform you that your Blade training starts tomorrow at 0600. Bring your Blades.”

Fromak steps forward. “You are Acolytes of the Blade of Marmora now. Report on time, and don’t be late. Rest up today. You’ll need it. Be ready to work hard.”

The words slip out of Ezor’s mouth before she can stop herself. “The question is, Master Chief Fromak, will you be ready?”

Fromak fixes Ezor with a hard stare and a chilling warning. “Just worry about yourself, Acolyte. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The two Master Chiefs salute them, wheel about, and depart their quarters.

Turning to her friends, Ezor exhales and looks at them with trepidation. “That went well…?”

Acxa puts a wry smile on her face and teases her friend. _“Other than angering your trainer, sure. Have fun tomorrow.”_

**The Long and Winding Road**

With the Master Chiefs gone, Acxa sinks into a chair while Zethrid leans against a desk and Ezor sits on the edge of her bed. “Wow. Look at the three of us. We’ve come a long way from the orphanage, haven’t we? I mean…orphans, to Generals, to rebels and pirates, to Blades of Marmora. A group that was our mortal enemy at one time. If we told our story to anyone we just met they would call us liars. Problem is, I’m not clever enough to make up anything that improbable.”

“None of us are that clever, Ez. I mean…how did we get here?”

_“I believe things happen for a reason, Zethrid. There is a reason the three of us wound up in that orphanage and met. There is a reason why we wound up as Generals with Lotor, and why we went through what we’ve gone through since then. I know how we got here. I just don’t know the reason why we got here.”_

“So, are you saying a higher power is guiding our lives, Acxa? You think the Supreme Spirit is involved somehow?”

_“Do you have a better explanation for the path our lives have taken, Zethrid? There are too many coincidences for all of this to be a random set of circumstances.”_

“I’m not a big believer in divine intervention. Not without hard proof.”

Ezor reflects on an incident that happened at the orphanage a few phoebs before Zethrid arrived. “Ok. How’s this for proof. Acxa…remember that time at the orphanage…when you had the nightmares about being trapped inside the stomach of a giant beast”

_“Ezor, I haven’t thought about that in decaph…”_ She stops mid-sentence as she recalls the details of that incident. Her eyes grow wide.

Zethrid is very puzzled. “So, what’s so special about this dream?”

Ezor stares at Acxa, a sly grin on her face. “Do you want to tell her, or shall I try and possibly butcher the story?”

Acxa sighs and rolls her eyes. _“I’ll tell it. Ezor and I were in the orphanage. It was about three phoebs before you got there. I started having recurring nightmares. Really…weird…nightmares. _

_“I…I was in the pilot’s seat of a fighter. I had crashed…and this is where it starts getting weird…in the belly of a beast I couldn’t even describe. I remember in the dream flying into that things mouth, trying to get into its stomach to get something. I don’t know what and I don’t know why. And, I crashed. No one knew I was there. The fighter was breaking up, and I knew…that was it. The end of the line.” _

“So, she wakes up screaming at the top of her lungs. Took me five doboshes to get her to calm down, she was hyperventilating so badly. Fortunately for Acxa, I had the cure for nightmares under my bunk. Warm milk.”

Zethrid gives her a puzzled look. “Ezor, how did you get warm milk in there? Headmaster Radnok would have beaten you both if he found it.”

She smiles at Zethrid, a glint in her eyes. “Yeah, but he had to find it first. He never did.”

Zethrid and Ezor turn back to Acxa as she continues her story. _“Anyway, I went back to sleep, and the nightmare returned. I was back in my crashed fighter, waiting for the end of my life. But this time I was rescued by a mysterious stranger. He was of a race I’d never seen before. Someone with dark black hair and deep indigo eyes. Tall, he wore strange armor, trimmed in red, and he carried a sword.”_ She pauses as a smile crosses her face._ “Handsome in a roguish sort of way. I remember him saying he was there to help. At some point in the dream I heard a name, an unusual one, and I believed it was his.”_

“Yeah. So, what was the name of your dream guy who rescued you?”

_“His name…was Keith.”_

“Uh huh…and what is your boyfriend’s name? Oh yeah…Keith. The guy with the indigo eyes and black flippity hair.”

Zethrid is still unconvinced. “Right…circumstantial. Where’s the proof?”

Acxa delivers the proof Zethrid is looking for. _“Well, here’s something I never told either of you. Before we stole the giant Teleduv crystal from Throk’s base in the Ulippia system, Lotor sent me on a secret mission to retrieve Scaultrite. And where is Scaultrite found?”_

“In the…” Zethrid’s eyes widen as a realization sets in. “…belly of a Weblum.”

_“I flew into the mouth of that thing and made it to the second stomach before I crashed. I might have been in there six, maybe seven quintants. Until I was rescued. By Keith.”_

_“Believe what you want to Zethrid. The dream was real, and actual events matched it. I’m telling you, everything that happened to us since we arrived in that orphanage happened for a reason.”_

“Wow…ok…”

Now convinced Acxa’s experience is more than coincidence, Zethrid reflects for a moment. “So, does he like it?”

_“Does who like what, Zethrid?”_

“Keith. Does he like warm milk.”

Acxa smiles as she thinks about the Black Paladin. _“Funny. I asked him that one day in the galley on the Black Lion. He was showing me how to make pancakes and had his back to me when I asked the question. He turned around and was drinking from a mug. When he lowered it, he had a milk moustache. He said yes, offered me the mug, and asked if I wanted some.”_

“That is adorable.”

_“I thought so…” _The smile leaves Acxa’s face as she thinks about how much she is missing him.

Zethrid pauses for another moment, then thinks back to her early days on Corillia. “You know, when they took me to that orphanage, I honestly thought my life was over. I fought them all the way there, and it took two big Galra to drag me in. Acxa, when you and Ezor approached me, and showed me kindness…that’s the first time anyone had shown me kindness since…since my father died.” She looks down at the floor sadly, recalling the loss of the most important person of her early years.

Ezor gently puts her hand on Zethrid’s arm. “Hey…it’s ok. That place was brutal. We could tell just by looking you in the eye that you were lonely. You needed someone. We all need someone.”

_“Zethrid, we were just doing what we had to do to survive. Ezor and I figured that out early on and became friends. You…looked like you needed friends.”_

“I did. And I couldn’t ask for two better or dearer friends.”

“Acxa, you keep talking about life paths. Are we all finally on the right path, or is this just a dead end? I honestly don’t know where we’re headed.”

_“Our current paths have to be better than the ones we were on, Ezor. At least we’re on the side fighting for a future we can believe in. A path where there is a chance for us…to live happy lives.”_

“Speaking of better paths and happy lives…Acxa, I hope you’re not mad at me for teasing you about Keith.”

_“It’s ok, Ezor. I’m not mad.”_ Her voice trails off and she stares out into space.

“Honey, it’s ok to admit you have feelings for him.” Ezor pauses to ask a question she already knows the answer to. “So…do you?”

Acxa makes no attempt to hide her thoughts, or her pain, from her friends. They know her too well for that to work. _“I do, Ezor…And I miss him terribly. I don’t know when I’ll see him again. Or…if I’ll see him again. I try not to dwell on it."_ Acxa chokes up as she tries to finish her thought._ "I try...to keep looking ahead…to convince myself I have to look ahead…before I can see him again.”_

Zethrid reaches out and takes her hand. “Is it working?”

Her eyes fill, and a solitary tear trickles down her cheek. _“No, Zethrid. I’m failing miserably. Kolivan warned me it could be my undoing if I didn’t keep my emotions in check.”_

Zethrid squeezes her hand gently. “Acxa, you need to be true to yourself. Being true to yourself means being honest with yourself. Don’t deny your feelings for Keith, and don’t lose hope. You’ll see him again, if I have anything to say about it.”

Acxa stands and gives her friends a hug. _“Thank you, both. I’m glad we are together, and I’m so grateful for our friendship. We have been through a lot together. And, we still have each other.”_

“And we always will. If what we’ve been through hasn’t pulled us apart as friends, nothing will.”

_“I’ve imposed on you enough this morning. Take care, I love you both.”_

**The Future of US**

As the door closes behind Acxa, Zethrid turns to Ezor. “So…Ezor…does the future include…us?”

Ezor sits on her bed looking down at the floor. Lifting her head and gazing at Zethrid with sad eyes, she says, “At this point, I honestly don’t know.”

Zethrid sits next to her and folds her hands in her lap. “I hope it does. I can’t imagine a future without you. Thinking back on the day I told you I had feelings for you…that I loved you…I remember how terrified I was. I wasn’t sure how you would react, or what you would say. You made me the happiest person in the universe when you told me you felt the same towards me.”

Ezor scoots away from Zethrid just a bit to put some space between them and turns toward her. “With everything that happened back then…Lotor’s meltdown, being stranded on that meteoroid, taking over the cruiser, worrying about Lotor coming back…it was frightening. You gave me hope. You made me feel safe. You made me feel loved. I still want to feel that way but…right now, I don’t. And I won’t until I’m sure you’ve let go of the hate inside you.”

Stung by her words, Zethrid stares at the ground again, wringing her hands. “When I said I would always take care of you…I meant it. When you were injured when the cargo hold blew up, I was beside myself. When you said…” She chokes up at the memory. “When you told me to leave you to die, that you’d had enough of the hate, I…I was lost. I didn’t know what to do. Except to hate more. I hated Acxa and I blamed Keith for tearing us apart. I wanted them to suffer. I wanted to destroy them.”

Ezor takes her hand and squeezes hard before releasing it. “Zethrid, that hatred was destroying you. I lost you to the hate, and I honestly didn’t want to live any more. Not without the Zethrid I fell in love with.”

“You know, Ezor…I still don’t fully understand why Keith and Acxa saved my life after I tried to kill them. When they brought me onto the Black Lion, and I saw you lying in that healing pod…I knew that everything that happened to you…it was all my fault. Acxa could have just turned her back on me, like I did to her, but she didn’t. She didn’t give up on me. She forgave me. She’s always been that way. I used to think she was weak because of it. Now I realize she is much stronger than any of us because of her capacity to forgive. And through her I learned that it was ok to forgive myself.”

Ezor wants to believe her, but she remains very skeptical. “I hope so, Zethrid. I really do. When I woke up in that healing pod and saw you…when I saw the concern on your face…I wanted to believe you were back. I just…just need to be sure that all this talk about forgiveness…isn’t just talk. Forgiveness is a powerful concept.”

Zethrid bites her lower lip and nods thoughtfully. “It is. It restored my friendship with Acxa. And…I didn’t hate Keith any more. Not after all the kindness he showed to me. He could have killed me. He could have left me to rot. He didn’t. He accepted me, flaws and all, and offered his friendship. After all I did to him and to the other Paladins, he forgave me.”

She pauses and gazes desperately into Ezor’s eyes. “I don’t want to give up on us.”

Ezor leans in and gives Zethrid a quick peck on the cheek. ‘I don’t want to give up on us either. I just…need some time.”

Ezor’s words cut Zethrid deeply. Filled with remorse over her actions that led to Ezor’s rebuke, she bites her lip and says nothing. They sit next to each other in an awkward silence for a few doboshes, until it is finally broken by Ezor. “So…what do we do today?

Zethrid exhales, relieved and grateful for the change of subject and the breaking of the silence. “Rest up, sharpen our Blades, get ready for tomorrow.”

Ezor can’t resist the urge to tease her. Zethrid is making this too easy. “Zethrid…do you even know which side of the Blade the sharp side is?”

“OK, wise ass, I do at least know that much. But…can you give me some pointers on sharpening it?”

Ezor smiles, pulls out her blade, and twirls it on one finger. “Sure, I’ll even show you some of my knife tricks.”

Zethrid shakes her head, a bemused smile on her face. “Blade training. That should be a snap for you.”

Ezor grunts and puts a serious expression on her face. “As long as it isn’t my neck snapping. I have a feeling training is not going to be easy for either of us.

**Roots**

Training Pod One, Blade of Marmora Headquarters

Still stinging from her conversation with Ezor the day before, Zethrid reports for training forty doboshes early. Determined to make the start of her time as a Blade of Marmora a good one, she is surprised to see P’tal waiting for her.

Seeing her trainee, P’tal grins and greets her. “Excellent! You’re on time. We’re off to a good start.”

Zethrid assumes the position of attention. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, Master Chief.”

P’tal steps in front of Zethrid and assumes her drill sergeant persona. “Very good, Acolyte. I am Master Chief P’tal, second in seniority among Blade sergeants to Master Chief Meltok. I’ve been with the Blades almost as long as he has. I am your trainer for all things Blade of Marmora. I will be hard on you, and I will challenge you. I will expose your weaknesses and we will work on them. I believe in repetition, and you will continue to repeat drills until you master the concept. I will accept nothing but your best. You either do it, or you don’t. I don’t want to hear that you will try. I want to hear and see you do it. Your life, and the lives of your team members, depend on what you do here in your training sessions. Is that clear, Acolyte Zethrid?”

“Clear, Master Chief!"

“Excellent! Show me your Blade!”

Zethrid reaches behind her, pulls her blade and awakens it, and summons it’s sword shape.

“Very good! Now, sheath it.” Zethrid sheaths her Blade and resumes the position of attention. “Stand at ease, Zethrid. Let’s talk.”

Zethrid relaxes as P’tal steps out of her drill sergeant persona and speaks with her as a fellow Blade. “I was very impressed with you during your Trials two quintants ago. You are a powerful fighter with excellent stamina, you absorb punishment well, and you can fight through pain. There was no quit in you, and I was pleased to see that. You have all the inherent base skills we are looking for.”

“But, I also saw some weaknesses that we will work on. You have a choice. You can correct these weaknesses by listening, learning, and doing, or you can ignore my advice and die on your first mission. What do you want to do, Zethrid?”

Zethrid looks P’tal directly in the eye and says as firmly as she can, “I want to learn, Master Chief.”

“Good. My job as your trainer is to craft a meaningful training program for you. For me to do that, it would be helpful if I knew more about you. So far I’ve only seen you in your Trials. What I want to know…what I need to know…is the answer to the question ‘who is Zethrid?’ Are you willing to answer that question for me? I promise you, what you say here, stays here. I will repeat it to no one.”

Zethrid thinks to herself that trust must begin somewhere, and this is a relatively safe place to start. “I’m happy to answer that question, Master Chief. Where would you like me to begin?”

“Where are you from, Zethrid? What are your roots?”

Zethrid takes a deep breath. She is about to dredge up some painful memories, ones that she’s shared with no one else. Not even Ezor. “My home planet is Crixus IV. My father, Doraan Katorsis, was native Crixan, my mother was Galra. I don’t know much about her, except that my father rescued her while on a mission and he loved her more than life itself. I could never get him to talk much about her beyond that. She died in childbirth, when I was born.”

Hearing that, P’tal gestures to the floor and offers Zethrid the opportunity to sit. As P’tal sits across from her, she says, “I’m very sorry to hear that, Zethrid.”

“Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, she continues her story. “I try hard not to think about her. Not because I don’t care about her…I do. It’s just…I struggle with the fact that I killed my mother while she was giving me life.” She pauses for a moment to collect herself, showing no outward emotion while churning inside.

Despite her efforts to hide what she’s feeling, P’tal can detect it. “You shouldn’t feel that way. I understand, more than you know. My mother died giving birth to me. I am sorry that happened to your family. But it’s not your fault. You had no control over what happened.”

“Thank you. My father was a mercenary, a soldier of fortune. He moved from group to group, opportunity to opportunity, never staying in one place for too long. Until he rescued a young Galra woman from an unscrupulous group that sold people into bondage. He always told me she won the heart of a scoundrel, and it wasn’t long before I was more than just a twinkle in his eye.”

P’tal laughs as Zethrid relates this part of her story. “It does sound like your father was a bit of a scoundrel, doesn’t it? I’m sure your mother loved him.”

Zethrid smiles at P’tal’s comment. “There is no doubt in my mind that he and my mother were very much in love. And yes he was a scoundrel, but in my experience a scoundrel in a good way. My father could have put me up for adoption, but he chose not to do that. He gave up the profitable life of a mercenary and settled down to raise me. When I was 10, he told me why. He said that he was responsible for me being in this universe, and because of that he was responsible for seeing that I was raised properly. I suspect he also did it because his daughter was a half breed and he knew no one would want me.”

“That says a lot about the goodness of your father’s character.”

“Yes, it does. I adored my father. We were very close. He was the steadying influence in my life. He taught me so many things, and he influenced me in so many ways. He loved children, especially small children, and that love of children was passed down to me.”

“He knew he probably wouldn’t live to see me reach adulthood because of his mercenary background. He’d made too many enemies, and there were too many people who wanted him dead. Because of that, he taught me how to defend myself at a young age. I learned how to use rocks, blades, and Ion weapons. I also learned how to handle explosives and other munitions. That was his specialty, and he made sure I was good at it.”

“I would frequently spar with him. Hand-to-hand combat. By the time I was 10, I was beating him one out of every two sparring rounds. He taught me the virtue of patience. Let your enemy make the first mistake. Unfortunately, that lesson didn’t sink in as much as it should have. I often let my emotions get in the way of rational thought.”

“My father was killed when I was 11. Murdered. His past caught up with him, just like he thought it would. Some of his former associates found us and wanted revenge against him. They blew up the house with us in it. The last thing my father did was shield me from the blast. I was badly injured, and…my father was killed. But I didn’t know that until quintants later.”

“I woke up in a hospital and spent a phoeb there, recovering from my wounds. When I was well enough to leave, I was told my father was killed and that I was being sent to the orphanage on Corillia. They specialized in people like me.”

P’tal doesn’t like the sound of that phrase and asks Zethrid about it. “People like you? I don’t understand.”

“Half-breeds. The people of the planet we were on wanted nothing to do with me. I asked if I could visit my father’s grave before they took me to the orphanage. They told me there wasn’t enough of him left to bury after the explosion. That was a lie. After the explosion I saw him reaching for me, before I blacked out. I was devastated by his loss. But…they didn’t care.”

“So, they shipped me off to Corillia. Against my will. I fought back as best I could. It took two big Galra guards to drag me into that place. Once I got there, I felt like an outcast. I’d lost the steadying influence in my life, and I was completely alone. It was that way for several movements…until I met Acxa and Ezor.”

“We bonded quickly. All three of us lost our parents under tragic circumstances. We were all desperate to find a new family. We viewed each other as sisters from different mothers. It eased the loneliness, but it didn’t eliminate it. It was always there. And it made us all susceptible to Lotor’s brainwashing.”

“Brainwashing? In what way?”

“Lotor picked that orphanage for a reason. He was looking for young people our age that he could mold into minions. Think about it, Master Chief…we’d all lost our families, we’d all suffered emotional trauma, and most of us were clinging to the hope that we’d find a family that would love us. That’s what Lotor offered us. The opportunity to be part of a larger family, one that cared about us for who we are, and didn’t hate us because we were half-breeds. He kept us together, knowing that it would be easier to manipulate us because the three of us had already started to bond. He gave us hope, but in the end it proved to be nothing but empty promises. Nothing but…lies.”

Zethrid pauses and takes a deep breath. She then falls silent for several doboshes. P’tal finally breaks the silence. “Thank you for your candor, Zethrid. I respect you for it.

P’tal stands and slips back into her drill sergeant persona. “Now…let’s get to work.”

**Clear Vision**

Since Zethrid has limited experience with sword play, P’tal begins her Blade training by taking vargas to work on footwork, basic swordplay defense, attack strategies, and basic sparring. Zethrid maintains a positive attitude throughout the session. She knows and accepts going in that she has a lot to learn, so her approach to training is to keep her eyes, ears, and mind open and her mouth shut. As frustrating as the training is, especially at the beginning, she sticks to her plan and as the training repetitions mount, her performance improves.

As promised, P’tal does not go easy on her. As Zethrid improves with each repetition, P’tal pushes her harder. “NEVER be satisfied with your level of performance, Zethrid. Always strive to improve. Always strive to be the strongest, smartest, fastest, and most skilled person in every battle you fight. Battles are fluid and constantly change while in progress. In a fight, keep a clear head and adapt to your opponent as they adapt to you. And remember…there are people out there who are stronger, smarter, faster, and more skilled than you. Strive to reduce that number by constantly improving your performance!”

At the end of a grueling seven-varga training session, P’tal calls a halt. “That’s enough for today. Let’s talk about some things so that you are ready for tomorrow.”

As the two sit on the floor, P’tal continues her lesson. “Zethrid – do you remember how our match in your Trials started out?”

“Yes. I was the aggressor. Every time I came at you, you dodged, weaved, and scooted. It was frustrating. I just wanted to grab you and wring your neck. It was almost like you didn’t want to fight.”

P’tal chuckles and claps her hand on Zethrid’s shoulder. “Oh, make no mistake Zethrid, I wanted to fight you. But I wanted to gauge your strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies first. I guessed before the start of our match that you would be aggressive, and you proved me right. By doing what I did, I got you to expose your attack style. Once I saw that, I began to pick up on your tendencies. Which in turn led me to your strengths, and your weaknesses. Your biggest weakness, which you confessed to me at the start of the quintant and just now, is that you let your emotions blind you to rational thought. I was going to attack you sooner than I did but seeing how frustrated you were because of my dodging and weaving, I decided to continue that approach to see how emotionally overwrought you would become.”

Zethrid replays in her mind the events of her opening match of her Trials. “Now it all makes sense. What you did at the start of our match. I understand what you are telling me. My emotions blinded me to what you were doing, when I should have kept a clear head, realized what you were doing, and countered it.”

“PRECISELY! Well done! Zethrid you are physically strong now, and you will only get stronger. You are slower than you should be, but your speed will improve with your physical strength. You will never be the fastest person in a fight, but you can be the strongest…and the smartest. The only power in the universe that can defeat you in combat is your own mind. Maintain focus! Your enemy will taunt you, just as I did in your match, just as you’ve done when fighting opponents in the past. They will use those taunts to throw you off your game, and if they sense your emotions are not under control they will keep it up. Show no emotion and pay no attention to the taunts. They are only words. Or turn the taunting against your opponent! Channel and control your emotions. THEY are your greatest weakness.”

This is not the first time Zethrid heard words like these. “I am thinking about the lessons my father taught me, so many decaphoebs ago. Many of them included what we’ve gone over today. I feel in a way that I’ve failed him. I’ve lost sight of what he taught me.”

This is the breakthrough P’tal was hoping for. Zethrid is proving to be an excellent student, and the lessons are sinking in.

“Then regain your sight, Zethrid. Your father was wise. He instilled good values into you. Let those values shine through. You are Zethrid Katorsis, daughter of Doraan Katorsis of Crixus IV. Wear that lineage with pride. Honor the memory of your father by putting the values and lessons he taught you into practice.”

“I will. Thank you, Master Chief.”

“For tomorrow…we build on what we learned today, and we add to it. At the end of that session, you will be given a mission briefing by Kolivan. From there you will be expected to prepare a mission plan. The following morning, you will meet your team and take them out on a mission.”

“Already?” Zethrid knew this was coming from the discussion with Acxa earlier in the quintant, but she didn’t think it would be so soon.

“Yes. There are things afoot that the Blades are trying to determine.”

“What things, Master Chief?”

“We don’t know details, but there are signs that one of the breakaway factions has gathered enough strength to launch an attack against another planet. We are dispatching teams to find out what’s going on. Acxa is leaving on a mission tomorrow. You and Ezor will depart on your first missions a quintant later. You’ll get all the details in your mission briefing.”

“Be prepared and expect the unexpected, Zethrid. Things will move quickly now.”

**Significant Emotional Events**

Training Pod Two, Blade of Marmora Headquarters

Like Acxa, Ezor reports to her first day of Blade training ten doboshes early…and gets an earful from her trainer.

“WHY ARE YOU LATE, ACOLYTE!”

“But…but…I’m ten doboshes early!”

Ezor was concerned that Fromak would be harsh because of her slight yesterday. To say Fromak is harsh is putting it mildly. She did not expect Fromak to be as fired up as she is. And it’s about to get more intense.

“No, you’re five doboshes LATE! STAND AT ATTENTION WHEN I’M SPEAKING TO YOU! Allow me to enlighten you on something, Acolyte. The phrase ‘If you’re ten doboshes early, you’re five doboshes late’ originated with the founder of the Blade of Marmora. Their belief was that a start time for anything is just that…A START TIME! Which means it’s imperative to show up and be ready to go BEFORE THE START TIME! Blademaster Kolivan added clarity to our founders original vision, so going forward when I or any Blade issue a start time, the expectation is that you will be ready to go NO LATER than fifteen doboshes BEFORE the scheduled time! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sir is the word used by the Blades to address officers, regardless of gender. And its use in this case is inappropriate, as Fromak quickly explains. She goes nose-to-nose with Ezor. “SIR? THAT’S HOW YOU ADDRESS AN OFFICER. I’M NO OFFICER, I’M A MASTER CHIEF! I WORK FOR A LIVING! YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS MASTER CHIEF! NOW, I DIDN’T HEAR YOUR ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, ACOLYTE!”

Ezor stares hard at Fromak and bellows her answer in a strong command voice. “YES, MASTER CHIEF!”

“OUTSTANDING!” Having made her point about punctuality and Blade courtesy, Fromak dials the intensity down a couple of notches. “Now, did you bring your Blade?”

Ezor unsheathes her Blade and extends it for Fromak’s inspection.

“Very good. I recall from your Trial that you are familiar with blade play. Is that true?”

“No, Master Chief. That’s not correct. I’m not familiar with blade play. I’m an expert at blade play and swordsmanship.”

A sarcastic grin crosses Fromak’s face, followed by a chilling reply. “Still a bit cocky are we? You are making my day, Acolyte. Ok, let’s see how much you really know. Sheath your Blade.”

“Master Chief?”

“DO YOU HAVE WAX IN YOUR EARS, ACOLYTE? SHEATH YOUR BLADE! We’re going to use practice Blades.” Fromak holds up a pair of wooden Blades. One in the form of Ezor’s Blade, the other in the form of Fromak’s Blade. Fromak tosses Ezor her practice Blade. “They’ll sting, but they don’t cut, and they don’t kill. If you’re half as good as you think you are, we’re in for an intense workout.”

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, Master Chief. I’m ready.”

The initial sparring session lasts one varga, as Fromak uses it to evaluate Ezor’s blade play skill level. She starts with the basics, but when Ezor displays mastery of basic strategy, defense, and attack, Fromak ramps up the difficulty level of the training. Ezor’s footwork, style, and approach are all solid and demonstrate a skill in swordsmanship that very few Acolytes possess. Soon they are sparring at an advanced masters level in swordplay.

Throughout most of the first sparring session, Ezor taunts Fromak and generally acts cocky. Fromak maintains her composure and does not react to the taunting. While Ezor holds her own during the first half of the session, Fromak gradually begins to expose and exploit weaknesses in her technique. Cocky and full of herself earlier in the training session, Ezor now strains under the frustration of her inability to best Fromak. She is clearly outside her comfort zone against an opponent for only the second time (counting her Trials match against Fromak) since she was 9.

As the session increases in intensity, Ezor’s frustrations increase. She tries to not let it bother her, but Fromak begins to taunt her, and the taunting only increases her frustration. Sensing that frustration, Fromak elevates her attack to an elite level, with devastating consequences for Ezor. She is soon on her knees, gasping for air, the muscles in her arms and legs burning from the exertion. Fromak’s blade is at her throat.

“You have skill, Ezor, I’ll grant you that. But you’re not as good as you think you are. You are certainly no master at swordplay. Not yet, anyway.” There is a measured and grudging respect in Fromak’s voice, but she makes it clear that he does not view her as an equal in swordplay.

As Ezor gazes up toward her trainer, a look of utter defeat on her face, Fromak withdraws her practice blade, sheaths it, and gestures to the ground inviting Ezor to sit.

Fromak sits as well and takes a dobosh to study Ezor. Her approach going into this training session was to put Ezor through a jarring significant emotional event. She knew the only way these training sessions would be fruitful is to prove to Ezor that she has a lot to learn. Fromak can tell by the look on Ezor’s face that she’s succeeded. Now it’s time to dial it back and take a different approach. She reviews her thoughts on Ezor’s training plan with her.

“Ezor, one of the things I need to do as your trainer is to assess your current skill level and craft a training program to help you improve. I now know what areas we need to work on from a swordplay perspective. They are advanced concepts and to be honest I didn’t believe we would get to them for at least one or two phoebs. Where did you learn blade play? Who taught you?”

“We have to go back a long way, Master Chief. I learned blade play from my parents.”

“Would you tell me about your parents, Ezor? It will help me develop a more effective program for you if you told me about them, and more about yourself. It will just be between us. I won’t share anything you tell me.”

Unlike Acxa and Zethrid, who only knew one parent, Ezor’s childhood was relatively happy and stable…until it wasn’t. “I learned my blade play and swordsmanship skills from my parents, who were both masters at it. My father was indigenous to Planet Sidonia, my mother was Galra. I’m guessing…you are Sidonian as well?”

“Yes. A half breed, like yourself. What is your family name, Ezor?”

“Corderian. My parents were Aleksy and Roza. You won’t believe how they met.”

“Now you have me curious. How did they meet?”

“Dad told me this story, because Mom didn’t want to talk about it. They met during the gladiatorial games held on Sidonia every four decaphoebs. My mother was a regional champion in swordsmanship, and she believed no one could beat her. Until she drew my father as an opponent in the finals.”

“Mom was the outgoing one, Dad was more reserved. He didn’t say much, but when he did it was usually important, enlightening, or funny. Mom started taunting him about how she was going to whip him so quickly. Dad told me he just stood there and took it, with a smile on his face. When they started fighting, he let Mom be the aggressor. He parried everything she threw at him. And he just smiled at her. The more he smiled, the madder she got, and the more reckless she became. Finally, after letting her wear herself down, he counterattacked.”

“Mom never knew what hit her. He came at her so hard and so fast that he shattered her sword and knocked her to the ground.”

“Here’s where it gets interesting. As you know, these games were fights to the death. He had Mom on the ground, his sword at her throat. He raised his sword up, as if he were going to spear her. But, he didn’t. He drove his blade into the ground right next to her ear. Then, he extended his hand and helped her up. He told her that he could not in good conscience kill someone who on any other day would have beaten him. One day, when I was older and Mom wasn’t around, he added on to this story. He said Mom was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, and he couldn’t bring himself to kill her.”

“The fact that Dad spared Mom didn’t exactly endear either of them to planetary authorities, but Dad pulled in every favor he had and got them a reprieve.”

“A reprieve from what, Ezor?”

“Are you familiar with the Tribunal, Master Chief?”

“Unfortunately, I’m all too familiar with the Tribunal.”

“They were hauled in front of it. They were going to kill them both. At the very least they were going to kill Mom since she lost the match. But, Dad stood up for her. Told the authorities he would kill anyone who laid a finger on her. Dad was a sports hero and he used his reputation and influence, hoping he could get away with it. He told me later he was also trying to impress Mom.”

“Well, was he successful?”

“I think it’s safe to say he did, since they became life partners three phoebs later.”

“So, what was it like growing up with two swordmasters?”

“It was fun, and hard at the same time. I loved my parents. Mom was strict with me, but Dad…yeah, he was wrapped around my little finger. I got away with a lot of things with him, but as parents on the important stuff, they stuck together.”

“Knowing what life was going to be like for a half-breed, they made sure I knew how to defend myself. As a Sidonian, Dad could render himself invisible. I inherited that trait from him, and he taught me how to use it. But, he also warned me not to use it and do anything that would piss off Mom. If I did, he told me I would have to deal with her on my own.”

“So, did you? Piss her off using your cloaking skills?”

“Um, I’m still alive, so no. We’re talking about Mom. No one crossed Mom and got away with it. Especially me. She was strict, but she also knew when to back off and have fun, and I loved her for it. She gave me structure, and she made me feel safe. They both did.”

“Mom was my primary teacher for swordplay. I learned everything I know from her. Dad was my sparring partner. Mom would watch us and critique me when we were done. She would sometimes critique Dad just to tease him. He would just smile at her to try to get under her skin. She told him that trick worked once, it wasn’t working again. Anyway, by the time I was 9, I was a master at blade play and swordsmanship.”

“And then I was 10. That’s when my world fell apart. My parents were both killed by a terrorist bomb. The authorities called it a random bombing carried out by the Blade of Marmora, but I knew differently. I saw the assassin as they threw the grenade. I knew the assassin, and I knew they were not Blade of Marmora. Mom grabbed me and shielded me from the blast, and Dad tried to shield us both. We were thrown more than halfway across the courtyard where the bombing took place. They died instantly. I was injured, but not severely.”

“My parents…they saved me.” The memory proves to be overwhelming. She stares straight ahead, dabbing her eyes, unable to speak.

Fromak puts her hand on her shoulder in a gesture of condolence. “Take a deep breath and relax. I know it was hard to dredge up those memories. Take a dobosh.”

Regaining her composure, Ezor continues her story. “After I recovered from my injuries, I was taken to the orphanage on Corillia. That’s where the Galra sent all half-breed orphans in that sector. I was a mental and emotional wreck. I was devastated and not in a good place. It was hard for me at first. Then I met Acxa. A half breed Corillian my own age. She helped me adjust to orphanage life. We bonded quickly and became fast friends. Our friendship’s been tested over the decaphoebs, but it’s still solid. We met Zethrid a decaphoeb after I got there. Once she joined with us, we were known as the three sisters. No one in that place messed with us.”

Ezor was more forthcoming with her story than Fromak expected her to be, but by being so open she now understands what drives Ezor’s behavior. That will prove valuable in her upcoming training sessions. “Ezor, I know it was not easy to share that. I appreciate your candor. This conversation stays between us.”

“Thank you, Master Chief. That’s my life story. It is what it is. My experiences shaped me into the person I am today. I try not to dwell in the past or wallow in regret.

“You said try. Are there times…”

“Yes, Master Chief. There are times I think about Mom & Dad, and how much I miss them. But, I can’t change what happened.”

“That is a wise attitude, Ezor. You are correct, you cannot change what’s over, but only where you go. Your future experiences will continue to shape you. My job is to shape you into a model Blade. I will offer you advice, counsel, and will train you. I will be hard on you. I will not go easy on you. Not because I hate you. I don’t hate you, even though you are a cocky, overbearing wise-ass at times. I will be hard on you because your life, and the lives of your team members depend on what you do here. All trainees hear this. I’m sure Acxa and Zethrid are hearing this. You have a choice to make. Learn and grow, or not.

“Master Chief…we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, and I apologize. Sometimes my mouth engages before my brain. I want to learn. I want to grow. I want to be a part of something positive again.”

“Excellent! Apology accepted. Before we continue with your training, let’s review what I saw in our first session. I mentioned earlier that you have skill. But you don’t know how to effectively use the skills you have. You, Ezor, are your own worst enemy.”

“My own…how?”

“You’re skilled, and you know you are skilled. But instead of having confidence in your skills, you are cocky. You see, Ezor, there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness. A confident person believes in themselves, has trained for the moment, and believes they will defeat their opponent. But they also respect their opponent and know on any given day any opponent can best them. A confident person takes every opponent seriously, even those who are not close to them in skill level. A confident person lets their actions speak for them, and only use taunting as a tool to throw their opponent off their game.”

“A cocky person frequently thinks they are better than they are, and they have no respect for their opponent. They think they are so good that they don’t train as hard as they should. They use taunting as a crutch, more to build themselves up mentally than to throw their opponent off their game. You see, a cocky person is frequently an insecure person. They are compensating for their insecurity. And right now, you are an insecure person who’s trying to compensate for that insecurity. My job is to build your confidence and help you deal with the insecurities you face. I’m here to help you, and others are here to help you. You’re not alone. Do yourself a favor and stop acting like you are.”

“When you and I fought in your Trials, you were very…talkative. You threw taunts at me, and I threw them right back at you. The more I taunted you, the more you taunted back. And I knew, at that moment, that my taunts were bothering you. I knew at some point you would get careless. And you did. You let your guard down long enough that I got one lucky shot in, and that’s all it took for self-doubt to creep in on you.”

“My message to you is this. Respect your opponent, regardless of their skill level. Have confidence in yourself, but don’t get cocky. A little humility sometimes goes a long way. Recognize your strengths and work to maintain them and improve them. Understand your weaknesses and work to eliminate them. In a fight, don’t let cockiness blind you to what your opponent is doing. And use taunting as a tool to throw your opponent off, not as a crutch to build yourself up. That’s what these training sessions are for. Does that make sense?”

Ezor sighs heavily, looks at the floor, then up at Fromak. “It makes perfect sense. What you just told me…about confidence…was something my mother tried to beat into me. She always used herself as an example, and she used the match against my Dad to illustrate her point. She didn’t respect Dad when they first met. He surprised her by outthinking her. She was faster, more skilled, and in many ways physically stronger than Dad. But in their fight he was smarter, and his focus allowed him to beat her.”

“I guess…I forgot what she told me. I don’t know why I forgot, but I did.”

“Ezor, for someone to improve they must first understand themselves. The fact that you admit you forgot what your mother taught you is a good first step. You’ve identified a weakness. Now…what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to remember what she told me, and I’m going to practice it. I’m going to take what you teach me and I’m going to practice it. Until it becomes second nature and I don’t have to be reminded anymore.”

“Good. Let’s continue with your training.”

As they resume their sparring sessions, Ezor adopts a completely different attitude. She trains with a clear mind, focused on learning every technique she can. Fromak continually provides feedback to Ezor, and to her pleasant surprise she finds Ezor takes criticism well. Repeating each lesson after feedback, Ezor learns, adapts her technique, and improves.

After six vargas, Fromak calls a halt to their training session. “Ezor, I am impressed. I’ve trained others who thought they were masters at swordsmanship, and when I proved they were not they usually melted down into emotional wrecks. To your credit, you haven’t done that. Good for you!”

“Thank you, Master Chief. It’s been a long time since I’ve sparred with someone who was better than me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn.”

“Maintain that attitude, Ezor, and you will be unstoppable. Now…how is your marksmanship with the blaster pistol and Ion rifle?”

Ezor gets big-eyed. She is not proficient in those weapons at all. “Why do I need to learn blasters and rifle? We’re supposed to be the Blades of Marmora, not the Blaster Pistols of Marmora!”

Fromak gives her a wry smile. “Cute. Stop whining. Let’s go to the range. I can see we’ll need to spend most of our training time there.”

“Aw man…I mean, yes Master Chief!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get into Acxa's first mission in the next chapter. She finds out the hard way that she has a lot to learn.


	4. Trial by Fire (Acxa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia assumes the role of drill sergeant as she takes on the responsibility of training Acxa as a Blade of Marmora. Acxa meets her mission team and discovers she an unflattering reputation within the Blades to overcome. She is reminded that leadership is hard and comes with a high personal cost, but she earns the respect of her fellow Blades by being true to herself.  
Krolia shares with Acxa the story of how she was recruited into the Blade of Marmora, as well as her own misadventures on her first mission.

**First Lesson**

Reporting to the training facility ten doboshes early, Acxa finds Krolia already waiting for her in the training room. Arms crossed, her Blade in her hand, Krolia does not look happy.

“You’re late. Did you bring your Blade?”

Krolia is not the only one who woke up cranky this morning. _“I’m ten doboshes early!”_

“The way I operate, if you are ten doboshes early, you’re five doboshes late. Get used to it. Now, do you have your Blade?”

She reaches behind her back and pulls her Blade. _“Yes, I have my Blade! Does that make you happy?”_

Krolia matches Acxa’s sarcasm word-for-word. “Very happy.”

Krolia’s response only serves to heighten Acxa’s chippiness. _“Why do I need my Blade? I thought we were going to talk about my first mission.”_

“We will get to your first mission tomorrow, but before we do you need to make it through your first training quintant. Welcome to your first lesson in swordsmanship.”

_“Uggghhh!”_

The quintant is not off to a good start. Krolia decides that if Acxa wants to behave like an immature teenager, that’s how she’ll treat her. She sheaths her Blade and goes nose-to-nose with her. “Fine. We’ll do it the hard way. We’ll start by running thirty laps around the facility. Hopefully by the time we are done you’ll have lost the attitude. Let’s go!”

Their run complete, they spend the next five vargas working on Acxa’s footwork, basic swordplay defense, attack strategies, and basic sparring. It proves to be a rough and frustrating outing for Acxa, who sees no benefit to this training. She certainly hasn’t lost the attitude, much to Krolia’s chagrin.

_“Tell me again why we’re doing this? I’m not…a sword person. I’ve never been…a sword person. I don’t think I’ll ever be…a sword person. How will this help me as a Blade?”_

“There is strategy that goes into a sword fight. Study your enemy, learn their moves and countermoves, observe their strengths, and identify their weaknesses. Gather your information, then strike and counterstrike. Adapt as your opponent adapts. It’s a fluid, ever changing scenario, much like a real-world fight. Swordplay sharpens the mind and steels the spirit to rise above the level of our enemy.”

_“Yeah. Or, we could simply pull our blaster pistols and just shoot our enemies.”_

“Acxa, we are the BLADES of Marmora, not the Blaster Pistols of Marmora! I’ve been training Blades long before you were born. Trust me, this is important.”

Acxa rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. _“If you say so…sheesh!”_

“Acxa you are being whiny little brat! You need to stop it!”

_“I am NOT being a whiny little brat!”_

“Yes, you are! Listen to yourself! Acxa Combari, by all that is holy to the Supreme Spirit I will beat the brat out of you if it kills me!”

The harsh tone of her words forces Acxa to rethink how she’s addressing her mentor. Krolia’s gone out on a limb for her several times, and she knows Krolia doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of her attitude.

_“Krolia…I’m sorry. I’m still on edge from the conversation with Kolivan yesterday. From everything that’s happened in the last four phoebs, including leaving…saying goodbye…not knowing if he’s ok, or even alive…ah, never mind. _

She doesn’t mention Keith’s name, but Krolia knows who Acxa is referring to.

_“I mean…why do you and Kolivan even care what happens to me?” _

The pain in Acxa’s voice is clear, and it helps Krolia understand why Acxa is acting out. She walks up to Acxa and puts her hands gently on her shoulders. “Hey. I don’t pretend to understand the pain you’re feeling right now, but I do know what you’ve been through recently. I know you miss him. It’s a safe bet that he is missing you just as much. But weren’t you the one who told me we had to let go of the past and look to the future before we could see him again? A word to the wise…follow your own advice.”

“Why do we care? Because you’re a good person who needs our help. You’re a Blade of Marmora now. You’re a part of a larger group…an extended family. Kolivan told me that he views me as his daughter. I look at you…and I view you as the daughter I never had. And I won’t stand by and do nothing while my daughter suffers in pain, nor will I let my daughter behave the way you are this morning without calling her out on it.”

_“Ok…’mom’. So…does that make Kolivan my ‘grandfather’? In a manner of speaking?”_

“It certainly does. And I can tell you right now your ‘grandfather’ won’t tolerate bratty behavior! So, let’s clean up our act, shall we?”

_“Yes, Krolia. I will try to do my best.”_

“There is no try, Acxa. You either do it or you don’t. ”

**Mission Briefing**

At 0-dark-30 the following morning, Acxa reports to Krolia for a mission briefing.

“Your target is a Galra regional command post. Until recently it was under the command of what was left of the Galra Empire’s military structure. It’s since been taken over by one of the factions that splintered off from the Empire. We’re not sure which one. That’s part of what we need to find out.”

“Your objective is to infiltrate the base to gather intelligence on what is going on there. We believe the leader of this group is consolidating power, looking to carve out their own empire. We need to find out what they are up to.”

“You will have a team of four working for you. I will be one of your four. Master Chief Meltok, Sergeant Bars, and Corporal Anilea will be your other three team members. Their service records and other information about them are on this tablet. Study it. Know your team. Your life, and their lives, may depend on it.”

“Anilea is the youngest member of your team. She’s actually one of the youngest Blades for that matter. She is outgoing, enthusiastic, and very talented. She is a cryptologist, one of the best hackers we have. She’s also an expert with the blaster pistol and Ion rifle. Of all the Blades, she’s the one who might challenge you when it comes to marksmanship skills.”

“Meltok’s specialties are field medicine and heavy weapons. He is also an outstanding pilot. Next to Keith, he's the best pilot in the Blade of Marmora.”

_“That’s an interesting combination of specialties.”_

“Well, Meltok’s an interesting person. He is the Senior Master Chief of the Blades, with many decaphoebs of experience. He joined shortly after I did. He is an expert in small unit tactics and covert operations. He’s been known to test new leaders, so be warned. To use a Keithism, he marches to his own drummer and he can be a bit of a pain, but when things get intense you’ll be glad he’s on your team. He is highly respected within the Blades. He is a man of few words, and he responds best to leaders who are direct and get right to the point.”

“Clear?”

_“Loud and clear.”_

“Bars is a munitions and demolitions expert, and a sharpshooter. He knows more about munitions than anyone else on either side. Another independent sort, he’s level-headed, dependable, and he follows orders.”

“All three are experienced Blades, all three are experts in swordsmanship, and all three volunteered for this mission after they heard you were leading it.

Hearing this, warning flags immediately go up in her mind. _“They volunteered because…I’m leading this mission? Why?”_

Krolia pulls no punches. Acxa needs to understand what she’s up against. “You’ve already met all three of them. Meltok was the first person you fought in your Trials. Bars and Anilea were the next two. You impressed all three of them, but to be honest…they want to see if the reputation of Lotor’s second-in-command is accurate or not.”

She is almost afraid to ask the next question but voices it despite her trepidation. _“I have a reputation?”_

“Within the Blades you do. And it’s not flattering. You are coldly calculating, efficient, bloodthirsty, a backstabber who doesn’t care about anyone else except herself, someone who will change sides in a heartbeat when the going gets rough.”

Acxa can’t believe what she just heard. _“That’s just…wrong. That’s…not…no…”_

“I’ve warned you before that the Blades have perceptions about you. This is your opportunity to change those perceptions. Don’t blow it.”

_“No pressure…”_

“Getting back to the matter at hand. You have a captured Galra scout ship at your disposal to get you to and from your objective. You have six vargas to come up with your plan. You will brief your team on your plan at the end of those six vargas. Any questions?”

After hearing Krolia’s admonition to use the opportunity to change her reputation, she knows what must be done. It’s time for her to bring her ‘A’ game, starting with her mission plan. She needs to show the Blades what she can do.

She tells Krolia, firmly, _“No questions. I’ll be ready.”_

**The Plan**

Six vargas later, Acxa is briefing her mission team.

_“The Galra base on Wordaki is large yet compact at the same time. It sits on the floor of a large valley, protected by heavy weapons emplacements on the surrounding ridgelines. Despite that, there are significant gaps in their ground security. There are trails leading to the base through gaps in the ridges here, here, and here. They are not well guarded as the approaches are heavily wooded and are a deterrent to large forces trying to move through the forest. They expect base defenses to handle any small bands of intruders that might come through that area. We will approach the base by moving down one of these trails.”_

“What about scouts on the surrounding ridgelines at the heavy weapon emplacements? Won’t they spot us coming down those trails? They may not be heavily patrolled, but if I were setting up defenses I’d have sniper units watching the approaches to the base.”

_“Yes, and that’s exactly what they’ve done, Bars. There are long-range snipers on the ridgelines watching the trails. But there are large blind spots the snipers can’t see through because of the heavy foliage. To cover those gaps, there are patrols that move up and down the trails. The timing of the patrols is supposed to vary so that their appearance at any one point along the trails is unpredictable. Instead they run like clockwork at regular intervals. We’ll use that error on their part to our advantage. There are locations along the trails that are ideal for ambush, out of sight of any observers on the ridgelines. We will ambush one of the patrols, don their uniforms, and enter the base in disguise.”_

Meltok listens thoughtfully to the plan. Acxa watches his body language, but it doesn’t give away what he’s thinking, although she does detect a slight vertical head nod. He breaks his silence after hearing about the ambush strategy.

“What type of ambush did you have in mind, Lieutenant?”

For this mission Acxa carries the temporary rank of Lieutenant. New Lieutenants within the Blades, like new Lieutenants in any military organization, are viewed by the more experienced members as greenhorns who think they know it all. When Krolia approached Meltok with a request to be a member of Acxa’s first mission team, he was intrigued. He wanted to see for himself if Lotor’s top General is as efficient and calculating as others say she is. He is also aware of her reputation and is on guard should any part of it be true.

_“These are four-person patrols. Live Galra, not sentinel droids. We’ll use blaster pistols set to heavy stun to take them down. I would prefer we kill no one, but if that’s not possible, we move in close quarters, use our Blades and terminate the patrol with extreme prejudice.”_

Meltok and Bars turn to each other and smile. Meltok looks to Acxa and says, “Ok, that makes sense. I’m liking this plan so far. What’s next, Lieutenant?”

Hearing Meltok’s approval of the first part of her plan, her confidence level soars. _“Once we are inside the base, we split up. Meltok, Bars, the two of you head to the Hangar bays. We need to get a good look at what they have down there. I suspect it’s more than just scout ships and freighters.”_

“So, what exactly are we looking for?”

_“Anything. My guess is we’ll find munitions stockpiles and weapons being hoarded by whichever group is controlling this base. Dig up any other useful information you can find. Be creative. Shouldn’t be hard. I hear the two of you are quite resourceful. Be on the lookout for anything that indicates who we are up against.”_

“So, a free hand when it comes to the recon?”

_“Affirmative. Use your discretion. Two rules of engagement. One…don’t get caught. Two…if you are caught, get out of there as best you can.”_

Meltok smiles again and nods his head in agreement. “Got it.”

_“Anilea, Krolia, and I will go to the Control Center. There is a room just off the Control Center. It’s hardly ever used, so Anilea and Krolia will set up there. I’ll get into the Control Center and tie a transponder in to one of the computer consoles. From there, Anilea, you can hack away.”_

Anilea’s eyes sparkle with anticipation. “Sounds like fun. I can’t wait! Do we know what security protocols they are using?”

“_When it was under the control of the Empire, they used the Daedalus protocols. They’ve probably made modifications, but I expect the basic security protocols haven’t changed.”_

“That’s good to know. I’ll be ready.”

_“Excellent. We’ll have three vargas to get in, gather information, and get out. Don’t be late. Any questions?”_

Acxa knows more details about the base than she could have possibly gathered from Blade intelligence and Meltok calls her out on it. “Just one. How do you know so much about this base, Lieutenant?”

Acxa detects the undercurrent of suspicion in Meltok’s voice and knows the best way to deal with it is by giving a straight answer. She makes direct eye contact and takes two steps towards Meltok. _“This was one of Lotor’s regional command centers on the outer edge of the Empire. I was stationed there for eleven phoebs when I was a trainee. I know the layout, and I know how they operated then. From what I’ve seen from Blade intel, it doesn’t appear they’ve changed too many things.”_ Still looking Meltok directly in the eye, she asks firmly, _“Does that answer your question, Master Chief?”_

Meltok nods thoughtfully. “In many ways it does, Lieutenant.”

Seeing no further questions, Krolia stands and addresses the group. “Ok. Gather what you need. We move out in one varga.”

As the team departs the room, Krolia pats Acxa on the shoulder and smiles. “You’ve obviously done this before. Well done. You also handled Meltok well. You didn’t give him a chance to challenge you, and when he finally did you responded perfectly.”

_“I studied their service records as you suggested. Meltok’s in particular. I know he doesn’t trust me. So, is he on board with the plan?”_

“He’s on board. If we weren’t, you’d know. Trust has to be earned, especially with Meltok. I believe you actually earned his respect by being direct with him regarding how you know so much about that base..” She then loses the smile and gives Acxa a chilling warning. “Now the hard part is coming. We’ll have to see how your plan holds up once something goes wrong.”

“And, something always goes wrong.”

**The Base**

The mission briefing complete, Acxa and her team board their scout ship and depart for the Galra regional command center.

Bluffing their way past the fighter pickets guarding the space approaches to the base, they land on the planet three clicks from the base. They silently and successfully ambush a patrol on one of the wooded approach paths. Stunning the patrol with their blaster pistols, then using a non-lethal drug to incapacitate them for several vargas, they don the patrols uniforms. Moving through the woods, the team reaches their objective and successfully passes through security into the base.

_“This is where we split up. Anilea, Krolia, you’re with me. We’ll head to the Control Center. Meltok, Bars, you get down into the hangar bays. We want to find out what they are hiding down there. Remember, this is intelligence gathering only. No fighting unless we have to. If we are discovered, we get out. Meet up at the rendezvous point in three vargas. We move from there to the extraction point together.”_

**The Hangar Bays**

Meltok and Bars stride boldly into Hangar Bay One. Acting as if they are sure of what they are doing, no one gives them a second look. What they see immediately puts them on edge.

Assembled in large quantities along two sides of Hangar Bay 1 are stockpiles of crates containing weapons that shock troops would use in a ground assault on a heavily fortified objective. The weapons range from simple small arms to two-person Ion cannons.

“Meltok…What would they need all of this for? The only reason to stock this many infantry weapons is to supply a planetary invasion force.”

“I don’t know but they are obviously up to something. Come on, Bars. Let’s check out the other hangars and see what is in them.”

In Hangar Bay Two, the surprises keep coming. Knowing that a Galra fighter squadron consists of twelve fighters, and a fighter wing consists of four fighter squadrons, they realize that Hangar Bay Two is housing four fighter wings. More than three times the number of fighters that a base this size would normally carry.

But it is in Hangar Bay Three that they find the biggest surprise. Sitting in the middle of the bay are forty large insulated crates. More are being unloaded off a cargo freighter. To get a closer look and determine what is in the crates, Bars and Meltok boldly approach the Shift Leader responsible for unloading them.

“Reporting for duty, sir. We were told to assist in unloading…whatever it is we’re unloading.”

The Shift Leader is surprised, but they are not about to turn down help. The sooner they can get this task done, the sooner they can go off-duty. “I didn’t know help was coming, but you’re here so get to work. Be careful with those crates. Those are Balmoran Crystals.”

Bars decides to probe a bit deeper. “Balmoran crystals? They must be pretty large crystals.”

“Battleship class. So, yeah.”

The pair does the math and they look at each other in shock. “Bars…they have enough crystals here to power an invasion armada. What could their target possibly be?”

“I’ve no idea, Meltok. Let’s hope Acxa and Anilea find something up in the Control Center.”

**The Control Center**

Disguised as a Galra Commander, Acxa, enters the Control Center. Clearing security, she locates a monitoring station and proceeds to pull up what appears to the casual observer to be innocuous files. Inserting a short-range transmitter into a data port she connects Anilea, hidden in an area just off the Control Center with Krolia, to the main database of the installation.

Once the electronic connection is established, it takes less than 90 ticks for Anilea to hack the system. “I’m in. Let’s poke around and see what we can find.”

As she begins the data download, she picks up bits and pieces of information that are disturbing. “Krolia…this base…it’s a supply collection point. There’s a massive operation underway somewhere and this is a major resupply depot.”

“Can you tell what kind of operation?”

“Not really. Not until we get this data back to our base and analyze it. But from what I can see, the size of the fleet this base is resupplying must be massive. It looks to be more like the size of an armada.”

“Wait…” Quickly analyzing a snippet of information that catches her eye, a cold chill runs down her spine. “Krolia…That’s what it is. Whoever is running this group put together an invasion armada. I don’t know the size or the target but…it must be a massive assault force.”

The download complete, Krolia contacts Acxa. “Acxa…we’re done here. Time for extraction.”

As Acxa surreptitiously removes the transmitter device and begins to exit the control room, an alarm blares.

“INTRUDERS IN HANGAR BAY 3. REPEAT, INTRUDERS IN HANGAR BAY 3. SECURITY TEAMS TO HANGAR BAY 3!”

**Protocol 23**

_“Quiznak!”_

Striding out of the Control Center, using the confusion to mask her movement, she calls her team in the Hangar Bay. _“Meltok, what happened?”_

“The Shift Leader caught us sniffing around a bunch of Balmoran crystals. Last thing he’ll ever do.”

_“Understood. Evacuate to the rendezvous point. We’ll meet up with you there.”_

Collecting Krolia and Anilea, Acxa leads her team to the base exit to make their way to the extraction point. _“Anilea, were you able to get anything useful?”_

“Affirmative. We need to analyze it back at base, but something big is going on. I’m really interested in what Meltok and Bars found in the Hangars.”

Reaching the rendezvous point halfway between the base and their shuttle they find that Meltok and Bars are not there. _“They should be here by now. Where are they?”_ Acxa contacts Meltok and gets an answer she doesn’t want to hear.

“Bars is hit. We’re working our way out and heading to the extraction point but I’m not sure we’ll make it back in time. If we don’t, you must invoke Protocol 23, repeat invoke Protocol 23.”

Protocol 23 is a standard Blade operational procedure. Failure of a team member to appear at an extraction point on time means that the team member is left behind. Meltok’s call invoking the Protocol is as much a reminder to Acxa as it is to the rest of the team. Mission first, sacrifice no more people than necessary.

Acxa knows what Protocol 23 is but she chooses not to think about it now. _“Meltok, you keep working back to the rendezvous point. I’m coming to get you.”_

“NEGATIVE! Move to the extraction point, Lieutenant! You’re risking the mission!”

_“I don’t leave anyone behind Master Chief! Like it or not I’m coming for you!”_

“Acxa, what are you doing? Meltok is right. You can’t jeopardize the mission like this! If they don’t make to the extraction point in time we leave them!”

_“They’re part of my command, Krolia. I don’t leave team members behind!”_

“That may work for the Rebels, but it doesn’t work for the Blades!”

_“You told me to lead this operation, right? This is how I lead! You and Anilea get to the extraction point and get the ship ready to move out. I’ll be back with Meltok and Bars. _

“I’m going with you, Lieutenant. You’ll need backup and I’m pretty handy with the rifle.”

_“Ok then. Anilea…let’s go.”_

Moving to a point just outside the base, Acxa and Anilea find Meltok and Bars pinned down. Despite being wounded in the leg, Bars is engaged in the fight, using his blaster pistol to great effect.

_“Anilea, give me covering fire against that forward position. I’m going to circle around and hit them from the flank.”_

Anilea is an expert markswoman and lays down a devastating covering fire using her rifle. Starting at her left and moving to her right, she methodically takes aim at the Galra firing on Meltok’s position. After the fourth Galra sentry falls to her fire, she succeeds in forcing the rest of the base response team to keep their heads down while Acxa moves into position. Twice, an unlucky sentry pokes their head up to assess the situation. Twice, her rifle cracks and she finds her mark. The base response team makes no further effort to move out of their position.

While Anilea pins down the base response team, Acxa moves in through the dense underbrush and takes a position just below and about 15 feet from the enemy. She lobs two grenades in to the forward positions, disabling the sentries firing on them.

While the stunned base response team struggles to reorganize, Acxa sprints to Meltok’s position. She helps him secure Bars and they make their way to the high ground.

As the team moves out for the extraction point, Anilea provides covering fire for them. Moving out of her position after the others pass by, she is struck in the back by a blast from an ion rifle. The impact spins her around and slams her to the ground with a sickening thud.

Seeing his team member mowed down, Bars yells out to her. “ANILEA!”

Acxa races back to retrieve the critically wounded Anilea, who is still conscious. Through gritted teeth and extreme pain she pleads with her. “You… must leave me here. I’ll cover you.”

Beside herself, Acxa tells her, _“No. I’m not leaving you.”_ She puts Anilea on her back as Meltok and Bars cover them.

As they move along the route to the extraction point, it becomes apparent that they are not being pursued. It’s also obvious that Anilea is in bad shape. Coughing badly, she pleads with Acxa. “I’m only…slowing you down. Leave me.”

_“No! No more talk about leaving anyone behind, and that’s an order soldier!”_

Looking out from the doorway of their scout ship, Krolia sees the ragged band of Blades staggering towards her. Leaping out, she helps Acxa with Anilea while Meltok gets Bars into the ship. “Meltok, look after Anilea. Acxa, get Bars and yourself strapped in. We’re getting out of here!”

As the ship speeds off the planet’s surface, Acxa checks first on Bars, then goes to check on Anilea. Sitting with her, she cradles her head in her lap, and gently strokes her forehead. Fear clearly evident on her face, she looks up into the eyes of the Master Chief attending to Anilea.

_“Meltok…?”_

Meltok just shakes his head sadly. “We can only make her comfortable. There is nothing more to be done.”

His words come crashing in on Acxa like a meteor_. “Anilea…hold on. We’ll get you back to base. You’ll be fine.”_

Anilea struggles to get the words out. “Acxa…we both know…that’s not true. But…thank you. You did what you had to do…I’m…proud to have been with you on your first mission.”

Anilea hands her the data recording device she used to download files from the base. “Take this. Analyze it. Use the information…Meltok and Bars…got from the hangars. Something big…going on…and it involves…it…involves…”

Anilea’s eyes stare out into space as she draws her last breath and dies in Acxa’s arms.

**Second Guessing**

Acxa bites her lips, struggling mightily with the loss of her team member. She closes Anilea’s eyes, stands, and bows her head, whispering a quiet prayer to the Supreme Spirit.

Sensing her emotional state, Meltok puts his hand on her shoulder as she finishes her prayer. “Don’t be hard on yourself, Lieutenant. She died a warrior’s death. We must honor her sacrifice by taking the information she gained and putting it to good use.”

He looks over his shoulder at Bars, who is in obvious pain from his leg wound. “I’m going to take Bars into the other room and tend to that leg.”

As Meltok takes Bars and leaves the room, Acxa sits opposite of Anilea and is joined by Krolia. “Meltok’s right, Acxa. Don’t let Anilea’s death be in vain. She completed her mission. Now you need to complete yours.”

_“So, just like that, Krolia? We just…write her off as if she didn’t exist? She was a living, breathing being, and she’s dead because of a decision I made!”_

“And how many more people will die if you don’t complete your mission, Acxa? It’s just like Kolivan said…this is a cold business we are in. But it’s people like Anilea who will win this war for us through their sacrifices. No one is forgetting her, and no one is writing her off. But she would be the first one to tell you that you need to let her go and carry on.”

“I know this isn’t the first time someone in your command died because of a decision you made. I don’t understand why you are so…”

_“SHE’S THE FIRST PERSON WHO DIED IN MY ARMS, KROLIA! OK? THE FIRST! SHE’S DEAD BECAUSE OF ME, AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO DIE! I SHOULD HAVE JUST EXECUTED PROTOCOL 23!” _

Sensing that Acxa is descending into a frantic and irrational state, Krolia winds up and slaps her across the cheek, hard enough to sting very badly. A startled Acxa quickly forgets the stinging in her cheek as Krolia goes nose to nose with her and reads her the riot act.

“ACXA YOU NEED TO STOP THIS AND LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW! Yes, Anilea is dead because of a decision you made. But if you had executed Protocol 23 you would be down two team members instead of one and you wouldn’t have half the mission intelligence you do now! As a leader you had a decision to make and you made it. You made the right call. Anilea knew it was the right call. You were in a no-win situation, and you made the best decision you could make under the circumstances. You lost a person, true. But you may have saved countless lives by making that decision.”

_“Krolia, you were the one who told me to leave without Meltok and Bars. Meltok advised me to leave them as well.”_

A voice comes from behind Acxa. “Yes, and as it turns out we were both wrong.” Meltok sits next to her and hands her an ice bag. “Here, put this on your cheek. It will ease the sting. My sister packs a mean punch. Be thankful she pulled it.”

“Your…” She turns to look at Krolia, a very puzzled look on her face. “…sister?”

“It’s true. Meltok is my older brother.”

As Acxa applies the ice bag to her cheek, she asks Meltok about Bars. “He’ll be fine. He’s got a bad leg wound but he’ll recover. I gave him something to knock him out. Better for him, poor bastard. He won’t feel the pain.”

_“Master Chief…I need to ask you…would you and Bars have made it back to the extraction point on your own…in time…if we hadn’t come back for you?”_

“That’s hard to say, Lieutenant. It’s possible. It’s more probable that we would not have made it. Like Krolia said, you would be two team members down instead of one, and you wouldn’t be in possession of the intelligence we gathered from the hangar bays. You need to consider that when you reflect back on this mission.”

Seeing Acxa look to the ground with a defeated look on her face, Meltok decides it’s time for him to speak up. “Look…you had a difficult decision to make, and you made it without hesitation. You trusted your instincts, and your instincts are good. You lost team member, but you saved two others and completed your mission. Senior Commander is right…you made the correct call. And I respect you for having the courage to go against protocol to make it. For what it’s worth, I’d follow you again in a heartbeat. Because I know you have my back. And after this mission, I’ve got yours. I’ll make sure the rest of the Blades know what you did for your team today.”

“No one is second-guessing you, Acxa. Don’t second-guess yourself.”

_“Thank you Master Chief.”_

He stands and turns to Krolia. “My apologies, Senior Commander, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He looks at Krolia and then winks and nods toward Acxa, who is staring at the floor again. “Would you like me to man the cockpit for a spell?”

Krolia acknowledges him with a nod of her head and mouths a silent thank you.

**Krolia’s First Mission**

As Meltok moves into the cockpit, Krolia puts her hand on Acxa’s shoulder.

“Hey, are you ok?”

_“I honestly don’t know. I’m just trying to make sense of it all. I…I understand what you and Meltok are saying. I should feel better about how the mission turned out. It was successful. But, the feeling is bittersweet. I still lost a person in my command. I realize I need to keep my emotions in check. I know that people die in war, but until now it’s always been nameless people in the crowd I didn’t know or didn’t care about. Anilea was different. I know I’m not handling it well. I don’t know if I’ll ever handle it well. Does it get any easier?”_

“No, it doesn’t. In time you get numb, but you never forget the people in your command who die following your orders. You must remind yourself that it’s always the mission first. That’s how we measure success. It’s how we’ve measured success for thousands of decaphoebs. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.”

“Acxa, don’t give up. You did a good job today. Kolivan has big plans for you, and the Blades need you. Did you make mistakes? Some, but not many. We all make mistakes. Learn from them. Did you do well? You most certainly did. Build on that success.”

_“But why do you and Kolivan have so much faith in me when I have no faith in myself? I don’t understand it.” _She pulls her knees up to her chin and wraps her arms around them._ “I just wish Keith were here. I could use some of his encouragement right now.”_

Krolia places her hand gently on Acxa’s shoulder. “You really miss him, don’t you?”

Acxa buries her face in her knees and mutters. _“More than you know.”_

After a few ticks she looks up and sighs heavily. “_But, he’s not here so I need to suck it up and figure things out on my own. I’m feeling sorry for myself and I need to stop it. I thought, because Lotor made me a General, that I knew it all. I realize now I have a lot to learn. I guess it’s all for the better. I needed to be knocked down a peg or two.”_

Krolia flashes a broad smile at Acxa. “You’ve just taken the first step to becoming a good leader. You recognize your flaws for what they are. Now, you need to work on eliminating them.”

After a few doboshes of shared silence, Acxa turns to her mentor. _“Krolia, how did you feel after your first mission with the Blades? What was that like?”_

“It is…hard to describe.”

_“Huh. That sounds interesting. Would you tell me about it?” _Flashing a shy smile, she says,_ “After all, misery loves company.”_

Krolia shakes her head and chuckles. “Ok. But to really understand it, I need to take you back to the time when I joined the Blades.”

“It all started when I met Kolivan during the time I was stationed on Corillia.”

Acxa immediately perks up at the mention of her birth planet. _“I didn’t know you were stationed on Corillia? When?”_

“Long before you were born, and we’ll leave it at that. I was a young lieutenant stationed there as part of the permanent party, and I saw things that the Galra were doing on Corillia that I didn’t like. How they were mistreating the native population. How they were mistreating the Galra/Corillian half-breeds. Kolivan was on an undercover assignment as a merchant supplier to the Galra, and I had quite a few dealings with him. Over time we grew comfortable with one another and we started talking. He picked up on my disapproval of how things were being run, even though I tried hard not to show it.”

“One night, while I was Officer of the Watch at the Supply Point, I saw a group of Corillian thugs mistreating some of the locals. I wanted to intervene, but my Commanding Officer stopped me. He told me it was a local problem for the Corillians to solve. I ignored his orders and chased the thugs off. I knew I was going to get my butt chewed by my CO, but when he started punching me I reached my breaking point. I shot him on the spot, without thinking. I didn’t kill him, and I would live to regret that. When I realized what I’d done, I knew my that not only was my career over, but my life as well once they arrested me.”

“Kolivan was lurking in the shadows, watching the whole scene unfold. He ran out, grabbed my arm, and told me to come with him. Back in his quarters he told me who he was, and that he was with the Blade of Marmora. He was on an undercover assignment and had been evaluating me as a potential member for movements.”

“To make a long story short, I went with him to Blade headquarters, completed my Trials, and joined the ranks of the Blades. To my complete surprise he also recruited my brother, who was also stationed on Corillia. Kolivan was my trainer, and he took me out on my first mission. Thinking back on that mission, it’s a miracle any of us survived.”

Acxa puts a crooked smile on her face and nudges Krolia. _“Come on. You know I’m going to make you tell me what happened, right?”_

Krolia chuckles. “Of course you are. It was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission. I say supposed to be because it turned out to be anything but reconnaissance. He had me plan it, and he had me lead it. The planning went well. And the mission went well. Until yours truly decided that she knew more than she did and tried hacking into a secured system.”

“We were a three-person recon team. Myself, Meltok, and Kolivan.”

_“Wait…Meltok…your brother…was with you on your first mission?”_

“He was. It was his first mission as well. Kolivan thought it would save time if he took his two new trainees out at the same time. He thought, since we were siblings, we already knew how to work together. Let’s just say he never made that mistake again.”

“We infiltrated the Galra research facility on Praxus Nine. It’s a backwater post, one of the least prestigious places for someone to be stationed. We heard they were working on a new type of Ion propulsion drive, and we wanted to get a sense for what was being developed. The computer hardware at the research facility was antiquated, and it looked as if it would be a snap to hack. And that is what got my sorry…um…myself in trouble. I got cocky, and my team paid the price for it”

“I was able to crack the lower level security protocols and downloaded quite a bit of usable information. But the information I really wanted was behind an additional firewall. The problem was that the firewall was booby-trapped, and I didn’t realize it until I tripped it and triggered a base-wide alarm.”

“Base security came after us in force. Before we could raise our masks, the lead of the security force got a good look at me. And I got a good look at him. It was my former CO from Corillia. Seems he’d been demoted and transferred to Praxus Nine because he let a green, wet-behind-the-ears Lieutenant get the drop on him. Served the bastard right if you ask me.”

“He came at us hard. We held our own for a while, then things started turning ugly. Meltok was badly wounded but he kept fighting. When the fighting became a close-quarters fight we pulled our Blades and began hacking away. And that’s when things really started to go wrong.”

“During the fight someone grabbed my arm from behind. Without thinking I turned and threw a roundhouse right, hitting their jaw and knocking them out. I was proud of myself until I realized I’d just cold-cocked Meltok. Out like a light. And he wasn’t waking up anytime soon.”

_“So when Meltok told me his sister packs a mean punch…he was talking from experience?”_

“Uh huh. I mean it's not like I've never taken a swing at him before. And please don’t tell him I told you this story.”

From the front of the shuttle comes the booming voice of Meltok. “It’s too late. I can hear every word you’re saying back there. If you’re going to tell her the story, Krolia, tell her the WHOLE story.”

“Fine, ok, just drive the shuttle, Master Chief!!”

_“So, you’re in a close quarters fight, you just knocked out the biggest man there with one punch, and you’re surrounded. How did you get out of there?”_

“Kolivan came in, guns blazing, and was able to beat the security team back for a moment. I was trying to lift Meltok up to get him out of there. When Kolivan asked what happened, I was afraid to tell him.

Right on cue, Meltok adds his color commentary. “His exact words were ‘Krolia what the hell did you do?’”

Krolia rolls her eyes and turns toward the cockpit of the shuttle. “I’m telling the story, Meltok! And how do you know what Kolivan said? You were unconscious! Has anyone ever told you that you can be incredibly annoying?”

“Only everyone. It’s part of my charm!”

The good-natured banter between Krolia and Meltok is a deliberate and carefully choreographed, albeit completely ad-hoc, exercise. Acxa isn’t the first new officer they’ve ‘broken in’ together. By relating their shared misadventures on their first mission, they both hope to use humor to pull Acxa out of her funk.

And they are succeeding, as Acxa is now laughing at their interactions. _“You two are definitely related! You squabble like siblings. No one can fake that.”_

Meltok picks up the verbal cue and runs with it. “By the Supreme Spirit please don't remind me I'm related to her. There are times when I think about it that I want to throw myself out the damn airlock!”

“KEEP TALKING WISE GUY! Honestly, Acxa, my big brother can be so annoying. Anyway, when I finally told Kolivan what happened, he did a double take. He couldn’t believe I knocked him out. Even then, Meltok was a big man. We managed to drag him back to our shuttle and got off the planet. The Galra didn’t come after us, thank the spirits.”

“After we’d cleared the planet I kept replaying the mission over and over in my head. I was careless, reckless, lost focus, and thought I knew more than I did. I was very upset with myself, and Kolivan let me stew on it for a few doboshes while he tended to Meltok. I was afraid of what he would say when he did talk to me. When he finally asked me what I was thinking, I talked non-stop for ten doboshes.”

“I admitted all of my faults to him. Told him he shouldn’t waste any more of his precious time on me, that I nearly got all of us killed because of my carelessness and lack of focus. I told him it was time for me to end it.”

_“End it? What did you do?”_

“I went over to the airlock and tried to throw myself out.”

_“WHAT? SERIOUSLY?”_

“I was really going to do it. Until Kolivan grabbed me by the scruff of my uniform and threw me back into the shuttle. Want to know what he told me?”

_“Of course I do”_

“He told me I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself. All plans have points of failure, and inevitably in any operation those points of failure are exposed. In my case I’d failed to account for advanced security software and didn’t include a cryptologist on the team. Despite that oversight, we still gathered a lot of useful information and were able to get out of there alive. It was a successful mission. I made mistakes…a lot of them…but I was alive to learn from them.”

“He told me the same thing I just told you. I’d taken the first step to becoming a good leader because I recognized my flaws for what they were, and because I recognized the mistakes I made.”

Meltok, having left the cockpit, walks up to Acxa, a serious expression on his face. He pats her on the shoulder “Learn from your experiences, Acxa. That’s a key part of being a leader.”

“It’s also a key part of life.”

**The Debriefing**

Arriving back at Blade Headquarters, Krolia instructs Acxa to get some rest and clear her head while the data her team collected is analyzed. After a well-earned shower, she stretches out on her bunk, thinking she’ll take a short nap.

She awakens ten vargas later when Krolia shakes her. “Hey, sleepy-head. Get dressed. Kolivan wants to see us.”

Walking into Kolivan’s office together, she notices that Meltok and Bars are already there. Seeing Bars with his leg heavily bandaged she approaches him and asks how he’s doing, concern evident in her voice. “Bars, how is the leg?”

“It’s as good as it can be right now. It will heal, Lieutenant, thank you for asking.”

Kolivan approaches her with a smile on his face. “Acxa, I didn’t get a chance to speak with you when you returned. It’s good to have you back. Congratulations on a successful mission.”

She salutes him and thanks him for the compliment. “I’m glad you feel it was successful, Blademaster.”

“It was very successful. Not only because you and your team brought back valuable information. You are to be commended for your independent thinking, your exercise of sound judgement, and your reliance on your instincts and common sense to do the right thing and not blindly following protocol.”

“You exemplified to the rest of the Blades something I’ve been thinking about for some time. We must adapt our fighting style to not only successfully complete our mission, but to conserve our resources as well. The Blades are rebuilding. We need to protect the team members we have and not be afraid to take risks to make sure everyone comes home from a mission. There are too few of us right now to not do that. You’ve set an example for other Blade leaders to emulate, and by doing so you’ve shown your value and worth to the Blades.”

“After the first mission for any new officer, I debrief the team to get their views on how their leader performed. I’ve received a glowing report of your actions from Meltok and Bars. Krolia hand-picked them for this mission because of their experience, and because we knew they would give us an honest assessment. They would not have said what they did about you if it were not true.”

_“I’m…humbled, Blademaster. Thank you.”_

She turns to face Meltok and Bars, who are both smiling. _“And thank you, Master Chief Meltok. Sergeant Bars. I hope we will work together again soon.”_

Kolivan drops a surprise on her that causes her jaw to drop. “Oh, you will…Commander.”

Kolivan could not have shocked her any more than he just did. _“C…Commander? I know my rank as Lieutenant was temporary, but I thought…”_

“That you would revert back to Acolyte status? You’re far too valuable a leader for us to do that. You’ve shown us you can handle responsibility, and you’ve shown the ability to connect with senior members of the Blades. You’ve more than earned the rank.”

Meltok approaches her and speaks candidly. “Commander, I told you on the return flight that I’d follow you again in a heartbeat. I meant that. Every Blade Commander is assigned a senior sergeant. They function together as a team. I’ve spoken to Kolivan and to Krolia…and I respectfully submit my request to serve you in that capacity.”

_“I would be honored and grateful but…I am familiar with the operating model of the Blades…Master Chiefs are assigned to Senior Commanders, not to line Commanders.”_

“Acxa…I don’t expect you to remain a line Commander for long, so that situation will resolve itself in time. Understood?”

_“Understood, Blademaster. Master Chief Meltok, I am honored to have you on my team. Thank you!”_

Bars loudly clears his throat, a signal to Meltok that he’s forgetting something. “Oh, right. With your permission Commander, I’m bringing Bars along as well.”

_“You don’t need to ask my permission, Master Chief. I trust your judgement, and I expect to rely on it quite heavily in the quintants ahead.”_

Kolivan smiles and nods his head in approval. “Well put, Acxa. A wise leader relies on the talents of their subordinates.”

With the matter of Acxa’s promotion and identification of her key subordinates out of the way, Kolivan turns to an even more serious matter. “Now, let’s talk about the intelligence you’ve gathered. It’s quite disturbing.”

“We now know why that base is stockpiling weapons, munitions, and crystals. Data that you and Anilea gathered from the Control Center confirm the suspicions that Meltok and Bars had from their reconnaissance of the base hangars. They are resupplying a planetary invasion fleet.”

_“Do we know who the group is?”_

“Yes. They call themselves the Fire of Purification. I believe you may know their leader. Commander Sendak.”

Her disdain at hearing Sendak’s name is palpable in her voice. _“Yes, I’ve had dealings with Sendak. He’s a pompous, arrogant pureblood Galra who has no use for half-breeds. Haggar sent the three of us to find him when she was looking for someone to fill the void after Zarkon’s death. Lotor defeated him at the Kral Zera.”_

“He’s also a brilliant military strategist and tactician. Don’t underestimate him in that area, Acxa. He may be a pompous, arrogant ass, but he’s not one to be easily dismissed.”

_“What is the target, Kolivan?”_

“We’re not entirely certain. There are repeated references to Objective S3 in the communications Anilea downloaded. Would you happen to be familiar with that terminology?”

_“No, I’m sorry. I’m not.”_

She pauses for a moment, then comes back to Kolivan with a question of her own. _“Kolivan – those anomalous signals detected from Earth’s Solar System. Do you think there’s any tie…”_

A cold chill runs down her spine as Acxa recalls a conversation she had with Keith in the Black Lion about two phoebs after the start of their voyage to Earth. They were talking about their home worlds that quintant.

_“QUIZNAK! No, this can’t be possible. Kolivan, Earth is the third planet from it’s star. The star is called Sol by the humans. S3…Sol 3…it must be! Those anomalous signals must be from Sendak’s planetary invasion armada! We…we must find Keith…warn the Paladins! They’re flying into a trap!”_

Kolivan is impressed with her ability to analyze data and arrive at a conclusion, but he fears she may have jumped to one too quickly. “Acxa, that’s quite a leap. Granted, all the pieces appear to fit together, but we don’t know for sure that Objective S3 is Earth. We’ll find the Paladins in due time. Right now, we don’t know where they are. And, we need more information, to find out as much as we can about this invasion and what Sendak’s plans are. To confirm the identity of Objective S3.”

Acxa tells herself that she can’t be the only one seeing the connection. She turns to her new senior advisor for his opinion on the situation. _“Master Chief, I said I would rely on your judgement. Your assessment of the situation?”_

“Commander. I believe you’ve put the puzzle pieces we have together correctly. There are several pieces that we’re still missing and that makes me pause before recommending we take any aggressive action. Objective S3 may be Earth, I personally believe it’s Earth, but we need confirmation. We’ll have time to get that confirmation before the Paladins reach the Solar System.”

“I agree. To your point Master Chief, I’ve dispatched Ezor and Zethrid on separate missions to gather more intelligence. Once they return, and our scouts get closer to the Solar System, we’ll have the missing puzzle pieces and a clearer understanding of what’s going on.”

Kolivan turns to Krolia and asks for her thoughts.

“My fear, Kolivan, is that we won’t like what we see when the puzzle is assembled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Ezor leads her first mission with the Blades, and comes face to face with the realization that tomorrow is never promised to anyone, especially for warriors.


	5. Trial by Fire (Ezor)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezor embarks on her first mission with the Blade of Marmora. Overcoming unexpected obstacles, and some sibling rivalry within her team, the mission is a rousing success. Things are going well for Ezor...until they aren't as a crisis forces her to face the consequences of past actions.
> 
> Posted 6 December 2019

**A Wink and a Nod**

“Unidentified craft, this is Fire of Purification Cruiser Yvadia Three. Identify yourself and state your business here. You have one dobosh to comply or you will be destroyed.”

Sitting in the cockpit of the small cargo ship, pilot Himaya Kilina and co-pilot Riana Kilina ponder their next move as they stare at the image of the stern-faced communications officer of Yvadia Three. “Ok Riana…you’re the communications specialist. You’re up.”

Snapping on the ship-to-ship communications system, Riana hails the cruiser. “Yvadia Three, this is cargo transport Micara Seven. We are inbound to Biscarion with a supply of food and perishables, to include some rather disgusting looking Puigian eels.”

“Micara Seven, we have you on our inbound roster, but we expected you two vargas ago. Stand by, do not move.” While waiting for clearance to come through, Riana engages the communications officer on Yvadia Three in meaningless banter that include a few winks and some suggestive double-entendres on her part. After three doboshes, their clearance comes through. “Micara Seven you are cleared for landing. Vector three-seven-niner-five, Landing Pad Seven.”

“Roger Yvadia Three, vector three-seven-niner-five, Landing Pad Seven.”

“Micara Seven, we have one request from the docking crew. Please keep those Puigian eels in sealed containers. Their look is bad, but the smell is worse.”

“Roger, Yvadia Three. No worries, we kept them sealed. How do you think we made it all the way out here from our supplier, sweetie? Someone down there likes them.”

The communications officer on Yvadia Three squirms and begins to blush. “Unfortunately, um, that is true. Safe travels Micara Seven.”

Riana flashes a rather friendly smile to her counterpart on the cruiser and responds in a sultry voice. “Roger, thank you Yvadia Three. Out.” Before terminating the transmission, Riana winks at a clearly flustered communications officer.

From out of the shadows at the rear of the cargo transport steps Ezor, the leader of the mission. She claps both on the shoulder, with a smile on her face. “That went well, don’t you think Master Chief?”

Stepping into the cabin is Master Chief Fromak. “It went very well. Riana you continue to amaze me with your ability to fool anyone. Puigian eels? Where did that come from?”

Riana sits back in her chair, rather pleased with herself. “After we hijacked this cargo transport, I did a scan of the communication logs to find anything useful to help us get past the cruiser. Besides finding the security intel I needed, there may have been an obscure reference to Puigian eels. Someone in charge down there likes those disgusting things, and apparently we’re hauling some. I figured it would give us extra cred.”

Himaya shakes her head, crosses her arms, and gives Riana a look of disapproval. “That and the fact that you were flirting with the communications officer on Yvadia Three? Girl, I don’t recall that trick being part of our Blade training.”

“Um…no, sweetie, it’s not, but it’s always worked for me. You should try it once in a while big sis, and not be so stiff and straight-laced all the time. Honestly Himaya you act more like our mother every day.”

“Well, at least one of us is acting like an adult and not a hormone-riddled adolescent child!”

“Acting like a…WHAT?” Riana spins in her chair and gets into her sister’s face. “You’re just jealous because…”

“Ok you two, KNOCK IT OFF and let’s focus on why we’re here.” Fromak warned Ezor that the sisters would occasionally bicker like this, and she realizes it’s time to reel them back in. “Mission rundown. Corporal Himaya…”

“I’ll keep the loading dock crew occupied. Transfer the cargo, oversee unloading, and take on whatever they may have for us. The entire sequence to take less than a varga. Be on standby for a quick getaway.”

“Check. Specialist Riana…”

“I’ll make my way into the base, locate a comm port in a private area, hack into the system, and download anything and everything I can get my hands on.”

“Check. How much time do you have to do that?”

“Fifteen vargas to find a comm port, one varga, max, after I hack in to the system to download data. Less if I’m discovered.”

“Check. Don’t get discovered.”

“Master Chief Fromak?”

“You and I will head to the control center and see what they are up to. Passive surveillance. We’ll wear body cameras to record what we see. Observe for a varga, then leave.”

Himaya turns to Ezor with a question that’s been bugging her for some time. “So, Lieutenant…you and Master Chief are going to just walk into the control center? This is a Fire of Purification base and you’re both…” She pauses as she notices both Ezor and Fromak giving him a hard look.

Fromak breaks the silence. “We’re both what, Himaya? Half-breeds?”

“Well…yes. I mean, you won’t get five steps onto the base before they realize you’re not…purebloods.”

Ezor gives her a crooked smile. “That’s true…but they have to see us first. Master Chief and I are both half Sidonian, and we inherited the Sidonian cloaking ability from our Sidonian parents.”

Fromak clarifies the explanation. “We can stay cloaked for about two vargas at a time. That should give us plenty of time to do what we need to do. Oh, and before you ask, the Lieutenant and I can detect each other while cloaked.” Fromak speaks with confidence on these points because she and Ezor practiced cloaking in Ezor’s training session the quintant before.

Ezor closes out the quick mission recap. “Remember. We’re here to learn as much as we can without revealing ourselves. No shooting, no blade play unless we absolutely have to, do not reveal yourselves for who you are unless there is no other way out. We need to figure out what is going on here and determine what the Fire of Purification is up to. Understood?”

**Stealth**

Arriving at Landing Pad Seven, the team moves into action. As Himaya and Riana depart to check in with the base cargo chief, Ezor and Fromak slip into stealth mode and sneak off the cargo ship. Their cloaking ability allows them to easily pass by the many workers and sentries on the loading docks. Approaching the main building of the complex, they stop dead in their tracks.

“Quiznak! When did THAT get installed? It wasn’t referenced in any of our intel reports!”

The THAT Ezor is referring to is an enhanced security scanning system. It uses biometric data to identify people passing through it. The problem is that it will detect ALL biometric data, even that of people who are cloaked. “Someone REALLY doesn’t want unauthorized people in that space. We can’t get in that way.”

“No, but Riana can. She excels at solving problems like this. We need to go back and find her.”

Circling back the way they came, they soon meet up with Riana as she is making her way to the main building. She hears a whispering in her ear. “Riana…”

Hearing her name, she pauses to look around. Seeing nothing she continues on her way. This time the whispering is a little louder. “Riana!”

Slowing her walk, she responds. “Lieutenant? Is that you?”

“Yes. We can’t get into the building. Not that way. There is a full-body biometric device at the entrance. It will detect us if we try to sneak past.”

Gazing down the walkway Riana spies the biometric scanning device. She shows Ezor that Fromak’s faith in her problem-solving ability is well-placed. “You’re right, the two of you will never make it past that thing. Not only that, I’m guessing it’s set up to identify half-breeds from purebloods. I’ve run into these devices before. Give me a tick…” It doesn’t take her long to find a solution. She pulls her security credentials and affixes a thin, almost transparent foil strip down the middle of the embedded computer chip in the card. “You two stay close behind me. Follow my lead. You’ll know what to do.”

Approaching the security checkpoint, she provides the sentries her security credentials. More specifically, she presents her modified security credentials. In addition to being a communications specialist and computer system hacker, Riana is also an accomplished forger. Following a visual scan of the credentials, the sentry inserts the card into the scanning port…and all hell immediately breaks loose.

Warning sirens begin to blare as the security system software begins to malfunction and goes into a cascading failure. The sentries look at one another. The system is behaving as if someone tried to sneak in, but no one has gone through it. “What is wrong with this crazy thing?”

Riana has a perfect answer for them. “When was the last time this system was rebooted? It’s acting like it could stand one.”

“Yeah, good idea. It’s been nothing but trouble since we installed it two movements ago. Last thing we need is for this thing to crash on us.”

“Uh huh. And it’s a good thing there are big burly sentries like yourselves to keep people from sneaking into the facility while it’s rebooting.”

Hearing those words, Ezor grabs Fromak’s arm and whispers in her ear. “Once that thing starts to reboot, we sneak in.”

Her hands folded behind her, Riana patiently waits until the system reboots. When the system shuts down she carefully waves one hand to signal Ezor and Fromak, who are standing behind her, that it’s time to move. As the pair sneak past her, Fromak whispers in her ear “Well done!” Riana smiles at the compliment.

Now inside the facility, they move to an unoccupied computer console. Pulling up a schematic of the base, Ezor locates the control center while Fromak stands watch. “You were right, Master Chief…Riana is a master of misdirection.”

“Indeed. I’d like to say I taught her everything I know, but to be honest I keep learning things from her. Which way are we headed, Lieutenant?”

“Down this corridor. Looks like we’ve made it past the worst of the security. Now we just need Riana to do her job and hope Himaya can keep the ground crews occupied.”

“Don’t worry about them. Despite their sibling bickering you’ll be glad you have them on your team. When the chips are down those two close ranks. You’ll be amazed at how well they work together.”

**The Hackmeister**

As Ezor and Fromak make their way down the corridor to the control center, Riana clears security and begins her search for a communications console. Turning in the official shipping manifest to the cargo office, she comments on several unoccupied offices she spotted along the way.

“Oh, those? Yeah, they belong to the head of logistics for the Fire of Purification. Between the two of us, I’m glad that bastard was deployed to the S3 front. He was an insufferable ass.” Realizing he probably said to much, he whispers to her, “You’re not going to tell anyone I said that, are you?”

She responds with a smile and reassuring words. “I won’t breathe a word.”

Leaving the office, she sneaks to the entrance of the vacant office and within a few ticks defeats the lock and gains entrance. Locking the door from the inside, she moves to the desk. “Ok, mister overbearing insufferable ass, let’s see what you all are up to out on the front. Wherever that may be.”

As she begins to break down the security protocols of the base computer system, she notices something disturbing. “Quiznak!” It’s important enough that she opens the comm link connecting the four team members. “Everyone, listen up. I’m about to break into the system and download as much information as I can. But we have a problem. This system has a Morlock security protocol.”

Ezor knows all too well what a Morlock security protocol is. “Ok team, we have less time than we thought we would have. A Morlock security protocol allows a computer system to adapt and counter any outside hacking it detects. Once that system starts to adapt it’s going to trip the base alarm systems. Fromak and I are in the Control Center now. We might be able to reset it once or twice from here, but at some point it’s going to stop us from doing that. Himaya, keep that ship ready to go. Riana, once that alarm goes off grab the intel you have and get out of there. They won’t know you’re the cause so act like you’re just as confused as the security forces will be.”

“Roger that, Lieutenant.”

Successfully accessing the system, Riana decides to harvest information from the systems guarded by the low-level security protocols. She knows that will not draw the attention of the Morlock protocol. But once she breaks in to the systems guarded by the upper level protocols, her time will be limited.

“Let’s poke around the supply systems and see what you’ve been up to.” Scanning the data as she downloads it, a picture begins to emerge of recent Fire of Purification actions and plans. But the picture is incomplete.

“Ok…it’s time to break in to the good stuff.” She executes a series of commands and after a few doboshes successfully breaks into the classified computer systems. Her technique and usage of system commands is flawless. Except for one minor error. That error is enough to draw the attention of the Morlock protocol, but not enough for it to shut systems down or sound alarms. As she begins to download data, the protocols begin to monitor her activities.

**Candid Camera**

Having tailgated behind people entering and leaving the Control Center to get past it’s physical security system, Fromak and Ezor spread out to observe what is going on. Activating their body cameras, they begin to record what they are seeing. And along the way, they overhear some very interesting conversations. One conversation between two operations officers stands out for Ezor.

“So, when are you and Nitaya getting bonded? You two have been bethrothed for over a decaphoeb now.”

“Whenever she gets back from deployment. You would think going up against a primitive planet that they would be done by now. I don’t know why Sendak can’t just crush them and be done with it.”

One of the officers pulls up a hologram of the planet under attack. Ezor and Fromak can’t believe their eyes. Laid out before them on the hologram are the locations of Fire of Purification forces in the war zone. “Fromak, are you getting this?”

“Oh, I’ve got it. I’m also getting information from the monitors about this operation. I can’t believe our good luck.”

The good luck, from an intelligence gathering standpoint, continues as the conversation between the two operations officers continues. “Yeah, tiny planet no one ever heard of before. Well, Sendak’s got it under control. Once he gets the components from the Netarian manufacturing facility, he’ll deal with the last of the holdouts.”

“Yeah, and how long will that take? That’s not exactly the most modern or state-of-the-art facility.”

“Yeah, but it’s our only facility. Patience, my friend. You’ve waited this long. You can wait a bit longer.”

Ezor’s curiosity is piqued. “Hmmm…the Netarian facility. That’s where Zethrid is taking her team. It will be interesting to hear about what they find there.”

Ezor moves around the Control Center, stopping at an unattended monitor. And immediately freezing. The Morlock security protocol is issuing a silent alarm; which means it detected Riana’s hacking. Looking around quickly Ezor realizes no one has detected the alarm. She taps a few commands into the system, and the alarm stops for the moment.

She signals to Fromak that it’s time to leave. Once outside the control center, she calls out to her team. “Riana, Morlock is on to you. Finish up what you’re doing and head out to the ship before you get trapped where you are. The base will lock down once the protocol issues a full alarm.”

Riana is one step ahead of Ezor. “I saw the alarm, but before it went off I hit the mother lode. I’ve downloaded their entire operations plan for the invasion, their order of battle, and fleet deployments.”

“Great. We got some good intel as well. Himaya, are you ready to go?”

“Ready. And you won’t believe what we’re carrying or where it’s supposed to go.”

“Tell us when we get there. Just be ready to leave once we’re all on board. We may be shooting our way out.”

Himaya’s eyes light up. As the team’s heavy weapons expert, she’s been looking for an excuse to break out the big guns. “We’ll be ready. Be careful getting out here. Especially you, Riana. Security is still light, but that will change once the alarm is triggered.”

**Escape**

Reaching the entrance to the facility, Ezor and Fromak realize they still have to deal with the biometric security system at the entrance. While pondering their options, Riana arrives at their location just as the Morlock security protocol issues a base-wide alarm.

“Fromak, break cloak! All of you, draw your Blades! We’ll have to fight our way out of here!”

Blades drawn, the trio attack the security checkpoint. Making short work of the guards, they are about to move through the security portal before Riana stops them.

“Wait! They still don’t know who we are. Let’s keep it that way!” Using her blade, she smashes the control monitor and power supply to the security system, forcing it to shut down. “Now that thing can’t pick up your biometrics. Let’s go!”

Realizing no one else has seen them, Ezor and Fromak recloak and follow behind Riana. Striding as if she doesn’t have a care in the world, the security teams don’t give her a second look as they rush toward the building.

Reaching the cargo shuttle, Fromak and Ezor decloak as Riana rushes to the co-pilot chair. Following close behind, Ezor shouts, “HIMAYA, GET US OUT OF HERE!”

Lifting off from the landing pad, the cargo ship rockets into space…and right into the center of a group of three cruisers. Himaya is dismayed. “Where the heck did they come from?”

Before anyone can answer, their communications console crackles, and the Communications Officer from cruiser Yvadia Three appears on their screen. Seeing him, Ezor and Fromak hide out of sight.

“Unidentified cargo transport, this is Fire of Purification cruiser Yvadia Three. Stop and prepare to be boarded.”

Before Riana can activate the comm link to the cruiser, a cloaked Ezor whispers in her ear. “Do you think you can talk us out of this one?”

A concerned Riana stares at the screen. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

Riana opens the communications channel. “This is cargo transport Micara Seven. Roger, understood, we are standing down. May I ask the nature of the delay?”

The Yvadia communications officer is clearly surprised to see Riana. “Oh…it’s you. Um…sorry…we have a situation on the base. Intrusion alarms went off. We’re taking precautions to make sure no one slips out. Um…this shouldn’t take too long.”

“No worries.” Riana smiles at the clearly smitten communications officer. “Will you be part of the boarding party?”

“Um…ah…well, as a matter of fact…yes I will.”

Ezor whispers in Riana’s ear. “Good. Play him for all it’s worth.”

Riana smiles into the comm screen. “I’m so happy to hear that. I’m looking forward to meeting you at last.” She snaps the comm link off and sits back in her chair, a smug look on her face.

Himaya holds her head in her hands. “If it weren’t for the fact that our lives depend on your ability to flirt, I’d be sick to my stomach right now.”

Before Riana can respond, Ezor uncloaks and approaches Himaya. “Look, I know this is a bit…unorthodox. But give your sister a break. She’s doing what she can to get us out of a tough situation. It’s not like she’s really attracted to that guy…” Pausing, she turns to Riana, “…are you?”

“What?…NO!…Eww!! Of course not! He’s the enemy. Besides, he’s not my type.” She turns to her sister and takes her hand. “Himaya…she’s right. For what it’s worth, what I’m doing… this flirting…makes me feel very dirty. But I’m doing it because it may be our only way out. I know you’re good with heavy weapons, but sis…we can’t blast our way out of this one. All I’m asking you to do…is trust me.”

Himaya sighs and squeezes her sister’s hand. “I do.”

**Boarding Party**

Their cargo transport pulled into the Hangar Bay of Yvadia Three, Himaya lowers the cargo ramp to allow the boarding party to enter the ship. She and her sister greet the communications officer, who is leading the party.

“I need to see your ships manifest, transport orders, and then inspect your cargo.” Anticipating the request, Himaya hands him a tablet containing the information he requested. Giving the documents a quick review, the communications officer says, “This appears to be in order.” He looks at Riana and smiles. “I’ll also need to see your communication logs.”

She smiles back at him. “Of course…I’ll show you anything you want to see…”

As the young officer blushes and audibly gulps down the lump in his throat, a cloaked and bemused Ezor watches the scene unfold. She didn’t know Galra could turn that shade of purple.

Himaya has other thoughts. If he so much as lays a finger on her sister, she’ll eviscerate him. Seeing Himaya about to do or say something rash, a cloaked Fromak whispers in her ear. “Calm down, you’re going to blow this. Riana can take care of herself. I’ll follow them. If he gets out of line, I’ll twist him into a knot.” Looking straight ahead so as not to give away the fact that she’s talking to someone, Himaya nods her understanding.

The inspections of the cargo and the communications logs are completed in less than thirty doboshes. As the boarding party departs, the communications officer turns to Riana. “In a way I’m sorry we didn’t find anything. Now I have no reason to detain you.”

Riana decides it’s time to break the young man’s heart. “My travels take me all over this sector of space. Most likely I won’t be back this way for decaphoebs, if ever. You’re a nice guy, but it wouldn’t work out. I’m sorry.”

Biting his lip and nodding at her, he tells them they are free to go.

Back in flight and clear of Biscarion space, Ezor gathers her team together. “Well done, everyone! Successful mission, we got what we came for, and we got out without being discovered.”

Fromak gives credit where credit is due. “It was your plan, Ezor. You put it together. To be honest I didn’t think it was possible to pull off a raid on that facility and not be discovered. You found a way to do it. You relied on the skills of your team members and didn’t try to do everything yourself.”

“Thank you, Master Chief. Now, what have we learned? Riana?”

“I was able to download all of their logistical data for the past six phoebs. That will be helpful, because we’ll be able to trace the movements of their combat units by following their supply chains. And, when you piece it together with what I was able to get from the command and control systems…Lieutenant, we have their complete order of battle. The only thing we don’t know for sure is just what objective S3 is.”

Now it’s Himaya’s turn. “Speak for yourself, sis.” She hands Ezor a tablet. “Here is the shipping manifest for our current cargo, Lieutenant.”

Ezor scans through the cargo manifest, and as she does her eyes get large. “Himaya…these components…they look as though they are the lenses for…” Ezor’s words trail off as she looks into Himaya’s face.

“Exactly, Lieutenant. And quite a few of them based on the quantity of lenses we’re carrying. Now, flip to the next screen and look at where these bad boys are supposed to go.”

A cold chill runs down Ezor’s spine as she reads the name of the planet they are being shipped to. “Oh no…this…this can’t be right.”

**Homecoming**

Twenty vargas later, the cargo transport sets down on the Blade base. As the ramp opens and Ezor and her team step out, they are greeted by Kolivan and Krolia. Also present are Acxa and Meltok, who returned from their mission the quintant before.

Returning salutes from the team, Kolivan utters a clipped question. “Situation report, Lieutenant. Was your mission successful?”

“Yes, Blademaster. Very successful. Four Blades left base, four Blades are returning unharmed. We were not detected, and we’ve acquired a treasure trove of information. To make the mission success even sweeter, we’ve intercepted a critical cargo that Sendak is expecting.”

Ezor nods to Fromak, who hands Kolivan a tablet. As Kolivan and Krolia study the tablet’s contents, the concern on their faces becomes readily apparent.

Krolia breaks the silence. “These are lenses for Zaiforge cannons. Based on these numbers, about ten of them.”

Ezor continues her report. “That’s not all we found. We know what the identity of…”

Before she can finish her report, a runner comes to them. “Blademaster…apologies, but…we have a report from Corporal Mischeau. Lieutenant Zethrid’s team is returning from their mission, and they are coming in hot. He’s reporting one casualty, critical condition.”

Krolia snaps at the runner. “Identity of the casualty?”

The runner looks at Ezor and Acxa. “It’s…it’s Zethrid.”

“NO!” Ezor is beside herself. Acxa rushes over to steady her. “No, Acxa, it can’t be true!”

Seeing Ezor’s reaction, Krolia springs into action. “Acxa, take her inside, join us when she’s calmed down. Fromak, take your team and get them fed. After they’ve had some food and rested a bit, we’ll debrief. Meltok, you’re with me. Let’s find out what’s going on with Zethrid’s team and get ready for them.”

Acxa takes Ezor into a private area just off the landing pad.

“Acxa, if anything happens to her…I don’t know…I…no, this can’t be!” Ezor is gripping Acxa’s arms tightly, a look of sheer panic on her face.

_“Ezor, listen to me. Zethrid is strong. She’s going to pull through. You must believe that.” _

“Are you sure, Acxa?”

Acxa does something she swore she’d never do to her friends after they reunited on the Black Lion almost five phoebs earlier.

She lies to Ezor.

_“Of course, I’m sure.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, and in the next, I'm attempting to peel back the layers and show that there is more to the members of the Blade of Marmora than the "follow orders at all cost" portrayal they received in VLD. While that is the mentality they adopt while out on missions, it doesn't define who they are as individuals. The portrayal of the sisters in this chapter may seem OOC for Blade of Marmora members to some, but that's because we get a glimpse of their larger selves and not just the part of them that are strictly regimented Blades. Blade of Marmora members think for themselves, they have feelings and relationships, and they are conflicted at times. More of that conflict comes out in the next chapter.


	6. Trial by Fire (Zethrid)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Told in flashback, Zethrid and her four-person team embark on what should be a routine clandestine intelligence gathering mission, and wind up changing the lives of everyone on Neteria. In doing so, she shows everyone who the true Zethrid really is. Dealing with a crisis, Ezor does some growing up of her own.
> 
> Posted 6 December 2019

**Aftermath**

The shuttle’s approach to the base is steep and fast. Faster than the pilot would like it to be, but today they have no choice. A team member’s life depends on a rapid arrival and the pilot’s ability to land the ship on a dime.

Master Chief Meltok, waiting on the landing pad with the Level 1 trauma team, contacts the shuttle to receive information on the wounded Blade. “Mischeau, this is Meltok. State your situation.”

“We are coming in hot. One critically injured team member. Female Crixan. Severe thoracic trauma caused by an ion rifle blast. No apparent vital organ damage, but she’s suffered severe blood loss. Bleeding is stopped, blood pressure is stable but low. Patient is unconscious. Breathing is shallow but steady. Request a healing pod.”

“Roger we have one standing by for you.” The data is not good, but Meltok has been through these situations before. Too many times before, in his opinion. Now his attention turns to the rest of the team. “Are any other members of your team injured?”

“Affirmative. All of us are wounded. Nothing life threatening, we are performing our duties, but medical assistance is required.”

He clicks the comm link off for a tick and lets his true feelings show. “Quiznak!” Clicking the link back on, and in a calm voice, he gives Mischeau his landing instructions. “Mischeau, listen carefully. You are cleared for a hot landing in Landing Bay 1, vector three-seven-four. Level 1 trauma team standing by with a healing pod. Drop your access ramp upon approach.”

Crouching with the trauma team, and closely monitoring the communications with the shuttle, are Kolivan, Krolia, Acxa, and an extremely stressed Ezor. She is holding onto Acxa’s hand and arm tightly, to the point that she’s nearly cutting off circulation to Acxa’s arm. As the ship comes in to land, Ezor stands and begins to move toward it, only to be stopped by Acxa. Tackled by Acxa might be a better description.

_“Ezor, where are you going?”_

“I’m going to get her off that ship! She’s hurt…she needs me!”

Acxa grabs her friend by the shoulders and gives her a quick shake to get her attention. Almost nose to nose, Acxa tells her, _“Right now she needs a doctor. The trauma team will get her and take care of her. I promise!”_

The access ramp of the ship begins to drop as the ship comes in for a landing. As it touches the ground, the Level 1 trauma team rushes inside the ship. A dobosh later, Master Chief P’tal and the rest of her team stagger out. Observing the condition of the team, and seeing the battle damage on the ship, Meltok sprints to them, followed closely by Kolivan and Krolia.

Meltok calls out to the team, concern evident in his voice. “EVERYONE EYES ON ME! Is anyone here severely injured?”

A dazed P’tal mutters a reply. “No, Master Chief, but they…” indicating her team, “…they need to report to Med Bay.”

“You need to report there as well, Master Chief P’tal.” The tone in Kolivan’s voice is stern yet concerned. “Before you do, answer one question for me. What in the name of the Supreme Spirit happened out there?”

P’tal and her team pull themselves into the position of attention and salute Kolivan smartly. “We accomplished our mission Blademaster. And under Lieutenant Zethrid’s leadership, we liberated a planet.”

“WHAT??!”

At that moment, the trauma team exits the ship. They are accompanied by someone unknown to them, someone who is talking to the head of the team and clearly relaying medical information.

Ezor rushes over to the healing pod, Acxa close behind her. Frantic, she clings to the pod. “ZETHRID! Hang on, please! PLEASE HANG ON!” As Acxa restrains her, they are approached by the stranger.

“You must be Ezor. Zethrid told me about you.” Nodding, Ezor continues to stare at the healing pod. “Ezor, look at me.” She turns to face the stranger who is addressing her with a calming voice. “She is in good hands. She’s in bad shape but we are doing everything in our power to save her. And we will. But we’ve got to get her to your medical facility now. Will you allow us to do that?”

Snapping out of her blind panic, Ezor steps aside. “Yes…yes, of course.” Moving quickly, the trauma team rushes Zethrid off to the medical bay. The stranger makes eye contact with Acxa and nods to her, a gesture Acxa returns.

Kolivan and Krolia observe the scene with interest. “P’tal…who is that with the trauma team?”

“He is Doctor Onyxam, Senior Commander. He is Neterian, and he specializes in the treatment of trauma injuries. We found him…rather, he found us…outside the concentration camp. He and his people helped us when things got ugly. He volunteered to come back with us to help Zethrid. She wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for him.”

Kolivan turns to the mission team. “Master Chief P’tal, you and your team go with Commander Acxa to the Medical Bay for treatment, then get showered and eat something. We’ll need to debrief all of you once that is done.”

“As you wish, Blademaster.” Saluting, P’tal and team prepare to make their way to the Medical Bay.

“Acxa, take Ezor to the Medical Bay as well and stay with her. Keep me posted on the status of Zethrid and her team. Once Zethrid is stabilized and the team is medically cleared, we’ll need them, you and Ezor for the debriefing.”

_“Yes, Blademaster.”_

“Krolia, Meltok…you’re with me. Let’s start sorting things out and figure out what happened out there.”

**Thinking About Forgiveness**

They sit in silence next to each other in a room just off the Med Bay, waiting for any word on Zethrid. Ezor wrings her hands as she replays the last conversation she and Zethrid had before they departed on their respective missions. Wracked with guilt, she reaches out, takes Acxa’s hand, and squeezes it hard.

Acxa gazes at the face of her childhood friend and sees nothing but utter misery. They’ve known each other since they met in the orphanage on Corillia when they were both 10. They’ve grown so close to one another that they may as well be sisters by blood. She wants to say something to her to make the pain go away, but she knows that’s not what Ezor wants right now. She squeezes her hand in return to let her know she’s here for her.

The door from the operating room opens, and two doctors emerge. One is a Blade, the head of the Medical Bay. The other is the Neterian doctor who spoke to Ezor on the landing pad.

Ezor and Acxa stand, holding their breath, waiting for the update.

“Ezor, Acxa…I believe you met Doctor Onyxam on the landing pad. He was a big help in the Operating Room. Zethrid’s out of surgery. She’s still in critical condition, and still not out of danger, but the good news is she’s stable. Her vital signs are trending upward. I’m very encouraged. We’re moving her to ICU, where we’ll keep a close eye on her. Once we get her settled, you may come in to see her.”

Doctor Onyxam steps forward. “Ezor…Zethrid was still conscious when I reached her, after she was wounded. When we were on the ship, she asked me to give you a message. I told her that she could give it to you when she got back, but she insisted. I promised her I would pass it along to you.”

“Message…what message?”

“She is sorry for the pain that her actions have caused you. She wants you to know that she is doing her best to let go of the anger. She hopes you find it in your heart to forgive her. And that…she loves you.”

Eyes filling, she drops her chin onto her chest and whispers a barely audible “Thank you.”

“Ezor, there is one more thing, if I may. From the little I’ve heard from Zethrid, something terrible happened between the two of you, something that caused you great hurt and great anger. If I may offer you some advice…don’t keep carrying the anger. Let it go. If you don’t it will eat you up inside and destroy you.” Gently patting her on the shoulder, Doctor Onyxam returns to the Operating Room.

Ezor returns to her seat and, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, buries her face in her hands. “Acxa…I am a horrible person. The worst person in the universe. I don’t deserve to live, and I certainly don’t deserve her.”

Dismayed by what she is hearing from her friend, she sits next to her, gently places her hand on her back and tries to comfort her. _“Ezor…what are you saying? You’re not a horrible person. Don’t talk like that.”_

Ezor uncovers her face and, still leaning forward, stares straight ahead. “No…the day before our mission briefings, after you left our quarters, Zethrid and I talked about forgiveness. I told her that forgiveness was a powerful tool. She asked me…no…she begged me to forgive her. To forgive her for what she’d done. She said she was doing her best to let go of the hate…that you and Keith taught her the importance of forgiveness because the two of you forgave her for what she did to you. I…I turned her away. I told her I wanted to believe she could change, but I needed proof.”

“She tried to talk to me the next day, after our mission briefings, but I told her I didn’t want to talk about it. I wanted to prove a point to Zethrid. I wanted her to hurt, the way I hurt. I wanted to teach her a lesson.”

Acxa puts her arm around Ezor’s shoulder and hugs her. _“Ezor, we’ve always been honest with each other when it’s just the two of us talking like this. I thought you and Zethrid worked all of this out after you came out of the healing pod yourself. I’m saddened that it’s come to this, for both of you.”_

_“It seems to me, by trying to prove a point to Zethrid, you proved a point to yourself and it wound up hurting you both. Like you said…forgiveness is a powerful tool. My mother taught me that if you have a conflict with someone, do your best to resolve it as quickly as you can. If it’s a conflict with someone you care about, resolve it immediately. Never go to bed angry, because tomorrow is never guaranteed.”_

Ezor buries her face in her hands once again and cries out in frustration. “Acxa, I’m so STUPID! I never should have been so hard on her!”

_“Ezor, stop! Beating yourself up solves nothing! Listen to me…She needs to heal and so do you. In so many ways. Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. You’ll have the physical and emotional scars to prove it existed. It means the damage no longer controls your life. Ezor, you love her, I know you do. Just admit it…to yourself and to her. Don’t just tell Zethrid you want to believe that she’s changed. Believe it. Give her a chance to prove it. Praise her when she makes progress and help her when she struggles. She’s going to struggle. But you and I both know she’s no quitter.”_

_“Don’t shut out your friends. I’m here to help. I want to help. And if Keith were here, he’d tell you the same thing.”_

Four vargas later, Zethrid’s condition stabilizes and she is upgraded from Critical to Serious but Stable condition. She is in a medically induced coma to aid in the healing process. With Zethrid out of danger, Acxa and Ezor make their way to the control center for a mission debriefing.

Standing around a holographic projection of Planet Neteria in the control center are Blademaster Kolivan, Senior Commander Krolia, Master Chief Meltok, Master Chief Fromak, Master Chief P’tal, and the rest of Zethrid’s mission team.

As they enter the control center, they are saluted by all assembled, and greeted by Kolivan. “Ah, good, Commander Acxa, Commander Ezor, you’re here.”

Ezor stops dead in her tracks, stunned. “Commander?” Turning she points to Acxa, and says, “Commander?”

_“Uh huh! I found out about my promotion yesterday.”_

“Um…congratulations?”

_“Congratulations to you too, Ezor.” _

Pointing to herself and looking at Kolivan, she says, “C…Commander?”

Kolivan and Krolia stride toward her, and each place a hand on her shoulders. “I didn’t stutter, Commander Ezor. Congratulations! You earned it.”

She salutes Kolivan and Krolia smartly, then turns to Acxa, bewildered.

_“I told you Kolivan had plans for us.”_

As Ezor and Acxa take their places, Meltok addresses the group. “I want to introduce one other person here. Most of you have met him, but for those who haven’t, this is Doctor Onyxam. He is the leader of the Neterian Defense Forces, the NDF. He’s here at the request of Master Chief P’tal.”

Ezor and Onyxam make eye contact, and she smiles broadly at him. “He’s also an amazing doctor.”

Nodding his agreement to Ezor, Meltok turns to address the entire group. “The purpose of this meeting is to debrief the team that took part in the Neterian operation. We want to understand how a four-person team sent to perform an undercover intelligence gathering operation wound up liberating an entire planet. Master Chief P’tal, you will speak for your team. You may call on any of your team members for comment and insight as you relate what happened. Please be honest. None of you have anything to fear. Understood?”

One-by-one the team acknowledges their understanding of what they are being asked to do.

“Excellent. Master Chief P’tal…take us through what happened.”

**The Mission (As Told by Master Chief P’tal and Others)**

“Our stated objective for the mission was to infiltrate the manufacturing facility on Neteria. Intelligence gathering only, take all steps to avoid hostile contact. Get in, gather information, get out. Find out which breakaway faction was controlling the facility, and the planet for that matter. We had reason to believe that whoever was in charge wanted to consolidate their presence within the Empire, and possibly take control of it at some point. We were to get an estimate of the size of the hostile forces occupying the planet and determine what they were making in the manufacturing facility there.”

“We were a four-person team, led by Lieutenant Zethrid. The rest of the team consisted of myself, our cyber security specialist Sergeant Aspen, and our pilot and weapons specialist Corporal Mischeau. We divided into two sub-teams. My role was to lead subteam two and coordinate command and control with the Lieutenant. Mischeau was with me. Zethrid led subteam one, and Aspen was with her. We were in constant communications with each other.”

Krolia listens intently to his explanation of the mission plan. She probes to get a better understanding of the leaders mindset at this stage of the operation. “P’tal, what was Zethrid’s demeanor heading into the mission?”

“It was excellent. Calm, focused, determined. Confident, but not cocky. She made it a point to talk individually with all of us before we boarded the ship and while we were heading out there. It was clear she’d studied our profiles before we left. She put everyone at ease. We’d all heard how she could be single-minded, stubborn, unapproachable, temperamental. None of that was true, at least not on this mission, from start to finish. She made it clear to me that she trusted me to aid her in command and control decisions. We talked through several scenarios before we left base and continued those discussions as we traveled to Neteria.”

“When we arrived in Neterian space, we were surprised to see only one cruiser above the planet, and they were over the facility. We easily avoided detection and set down about five clicks outside the manufacturing facility. The facility itself sat just outside one of the three major population centers of the planet.”

“We moved quickly through the farm fields and arrived at the facility in less than thirty doboshes. Security was tight, but there was one way in that was unguarded. There is a sewer line that runs from inside the facility to a retention pond, here…” P’tal indicates the location of the pond and sewer line on the hologram.

Meltok decides to have a little fun and set her at ease. “P’tal, I always knew you were a sewer rat.”

P’tal rolls her eyes. She and Meltok have worked together for decaphoebs and poke fun at each other as a sign of respect. She extends her hand toward Meltok, palm facing upward. “I learned from the best, Master Chief. It takes a sewer rat to know a sewer rat. Fortunately, the line was dry that day and we gained access to the facility…without soiling ourselves…too badly.”

“Once inside, we broke down into our two teams. My team was to investigate the manufacturing floor of the facility to determine what was going on there, and to see what they were making. Zethrid’s team made their way to the control room to hack into the systems and download any and all information we could gather.”

“We gained access to scaffolding set up over the manufacturing floor that gave us a clear view and provided good cover. The manufacturing floor was chaotic…there was a lot of activity…and security was surprisingly light. We expected to see a slave labor force at work, but instead we saw a workforce of about 300 Neterians working away under minimal supervision. I mean there couldn’t have been more than fifteen sentry droids at most. No live Galra, at least none that we could see. It didn’t seem right, and we were puzzled at the time why there weren’t more guards. We found out later why that was, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I did report in to Zethrid my concerns that something wasn’t right, and I told her why.”

“Using our scopes, we saw that the facility was manufacturing component parts for weapons systems. Complex electronic components, the type one would normally find on larger crew-manned or shipboard weapons systems. We couldn’t determine exactly which systems they were for just by observing the manufacturing floor. Our hope was that Zethrid and Aspen could figure that out once they hacked into the computer system.”

“I’ll let Sergeant Aspen take us through what happened in the Control Room. What they found triggered everything that happened next.”

Sergeant Aspen picks up the story from here. “Lieutenant Zethrid and I made our way to an area near the Control Room. My job was to hack into the computer systems and download as much information as I could. We took cover in a secure utility access corridor. The wiring for all the facility communications and other systems ran through that corridor, and it was easy enough to hack into it.”

“We downloaded more information than I had the opportunity to process at the time, but I can tell you this from what I was able to decipher. The group in control of the planet call themselves the Fire of Purification, and they’d recently absorbed several smaller factions. The facility was manufacturing weapons components needed to support a planetary invasion force. We know that because Zethrid was monitoring real-time communications and she intercepted a message that confirmed an invasion was in progress. Their objective was not clearly named, at least not in the communications we heard at the time. The code name for the objective is S3, and it appears the invasion has been in progress for four phoebs.”

_“Kolivan, that matches the information Ezor and I found in our missions, as far as the name of the breakaway faction and the name of the objective. Aspen, do you recall the name Sendak in what you saw or in the communications Zethrid intercepted?”_

“Hmm…I do recall seeing that name repeated several times, and it looked like he was the tactical leader for the invasion. I can tell you this Commander Sendak person is not happy. It seems that the planet they invaded is holding out. Well, at least part of it is. He’s called for the rapid manufacture of weapons components not only from Neteria, but from their other facility on Biscarion. I couldn’t make out the types of weapons systems they needed the parts for, but I’m confident that information is in the data we need to analyze.”

_“You said tactical leader…do you believe someone else is in charge?”_

“I can tell you that someone is acting like a puppet master and pulling Sendak’s strings. I can’t tell you who, but again I believe we’ll find a name in the logs we downloaded.”

“After downloading data for about twenty doboshes, we came across the reason why there was only one cruiser in orbit and why security at the manufacturing facility was so light. Emphasis was placed on whatever is being manufactured on Biscarion, so they diverted almost all of the few cruisers they left in their rear area to guard that facility.”

Ezor expounds on what P’tal just said by sharing information from her just-completed mission. “The lenses for the Zaiforge cannon. They made those on Biscarion. That’s why they added all the extra layers of security around the planet and installed that biometric scanner at the entry to the base. There were three cruisers above Biscarion. Counting the one around Neteria, he left four cruisers behind to protect his supply bases.”

Mischeau chuckles to himself, and when he looks up he sees that everyone is looking at him. “Well, there’s only three left now, but we’ll get to that.”

“Yes, we will.” P’tal now turns her explanation to security at the facility. “It seems that most of the Fire of Purification personnel on Neteria were guarding a concentration camp, full of civilians. Whole families. Men, women, children of all ages. They were using them as hostages, to keep the rest of the planet in line. The workers on the manufacturing floor were inmates at this concentration camp.”

“There were communications involving shortages of food and medical supplies within the camp. The Fire of Purification was withholding supplies from groups of people they deemed to be ‘unproductive’. Pregnant women, small children, old and infirm. They were…starving people to death. Deliberately. Then we came across the name of the camp commandant, and I could tell that Zethrid was upset when she saw it. She smashed a console in the utility closet, she was so upset.”

Ezor speaks up in Zethrid’s defense. “I heard earlier that Zethrid was dialed in to the mission. It would take something really bad to make her fly off like that. What was the name?”

“Commander Zirpoc.”

Hearing the name, Ezor quakes with rage herself and does her best to control it. “Quiznak! That murderer!” She turns to Acxa. “During the time Zethrid and I were pirate warlords, and you were with the Rebels, we had a run-in with this rat, and I’m being kind calling him that. He’s a slaver. He ran slave labor rings, and the labor was entirely half-breeds and non-Galra. He whipped and starved people to death. People he considered unproductive. And he laughed and bragged about it.”

“That’s consistent with the information I was seeing, Commander. He’s a very…distasteful character. Zirpoc was put in charge of the camp because the Fire of Purification needed all available personnel to support the invasion. They were using the hostages to keep the planet in line. There were 200 families held there, over seven-hundred living souls. Those that were capable of working…men and women, and teenagers…they were the ones working in the facility on the manufacturing floor. They’d been held in the camp for five phoebs, so this nightmare started for them when the invasion fleet assembled and set out on their mission.”

P’tal now picks up the narrative. “Zethrid called for us to reassemble at our rally point outside the facility. Once we were all there my team shared information about what we saw on the manufacturing floor, and she and Aspen briefed us on what they’d discovered about the concentration camp. She told us we were going to scout the camp and find out all we could about it. Given the nature of that place, no one objected.”

“The camp was laid out in a large flat area about ten clicks from the facility. There was a large building that housed the command center, and what appeared to be barracks for the guards just to the south of it. The rest of the buildings were barracks for the inmates along with various outbuildings. From our vantage point we could clearly see the family members left in the camp while the adults worked in the facility. What we saw…was horrible. Many of the people looked like walking skeletons. The children were clearly malnourished. When we saw that…we were all enraged.”

“While we were scouting the camp, we discovered that we ourselves were being watched. Zethrid was the first to spot him. Aspen and I slipped out, circled around, and captured a native Neterian. A member of the NDF. Turns out, it was Doctor Onyxam. He was scouting the camp for them as well. They’d been looking for an opportunity to free the prisoners in the camp and kick the Fire of Purification off the planet. When he told us they numbered about five hundred fighters, I could see the wheels turning in Zethrid’s head. She and I looked at one another and I pulled her aside out of earshot of everyone.”

“I reminded her that our mission was intelligence gathering only. I knew what she was thinking, and I told her that it was against mission orders. We would have to explain ourselves once we got back to base…if we got back to base. I clearly remember what she told me.”

‘Master Chief, you saw what I saw. You saw the look on the faces of those children. You saw the sadness on their faces. The sadness on the faces of the mothers left behind to care for them, because there isn’t enough food for them to feed to their younglings. How many of those mothers and fathers are doing without so their children can eat? Explain our actions? I’ll explain our actions to the Supreme Spirit if I must. We can’t leave them behind, and you know it!’

“Blademaster, it didn’t take much for her to convince me. Or Aspen and Mischeau when we rejoined them. We agreed we were going to liberate the camp and work with the NDF to get rid of the Fire of Purification. Knowing it was against our mission orders. So, reprimand us if you must but hear us out first.”

Kolivan looks P’tal directly in the eye. “We’re listening, Master Chief.”

“We assembled in a secluded ravine about two clicks from the camp and met with Doctor Onyxam and his subordinate leaders of the NDF. We mapped out a plan of attack to liberate the compound. During the day, ninety percent of the Fire of Purification forces on the planet were guarding that concentration camp. About 350 troops altogether, consisting mostly of sentry droids with some live Galra to control them and make decisions. All Fire of Purification forces were in the camp at night, including those that would be at the manufacturing facility when it was operating. We realized we had an opportunity to not only liberate the camp but liberate the planet and deprive the Fire of Purification of a key supply base. With the rest of their forces deployed around objective S3, we knew they couldn’t come back to retake the planet. The NDF had detailed maps of the compound, and Zethrid used them to map out a simple strategy. Our combined Blade/NDF force was only slightly larger than the Fire of Purification forces, but we had the element of surprise.”

“At 0100 hours, our Blade team cut through the wire and entered the compound. Our target was the Command Center and the troop barracks. Our objective was simple. Destroy the command center, shut down the security system controlling the sentry droids, and capture or eliminate the live Galra. While we four slipped into the camp, the NDF surrounded it, penetrated the wire at four locations, and spread out. They attacked the outer camp security in a methodical way. First, they took out the perimeter defense. Quietly, no firing, no noise. Then, they waited for us to make the next move.”

“I set up an ambush outside the main exit of the barracks building while Mischeau set explosive charges around the building. When the charges were set and Mischeau rejoined me, Zethrid and Aspen penetrated into the command center.”

Sergeant Aspen relates what happened in the command center. “When we got to the central command center, there were ten live Galra and twenty sentries in the area. We rolled grenades into the room and took shelter. Let’s just say after the explosion we had no live Galra to worry about. My job then was to take down the security system and disable the sentry droids. NDF told us that over half of the force in the camp were droids. As I made my way over to the security controls, one of the droids shot me in the leg. Zethrid didn’t hesitate. She grabbed two ion blasters from fallen soldiers, put them on automatic, and took out most of the sentry droids. She had a look on her face that made me glad we were on the same side. Her actions gave me the chance to get to the console, shut down the security system, and disable the sentry droids in camp. Once that was done, she came to check on me.”

Doctor Onyxam, silent up to this point, tells of the rescue of the civilians from the camp. “We heard the firefight in the command center and held our ground. When Sergeant Aspen shut down the security system controlling the sentry droids, they all collapsed on the spot. That was the signal for us to move in and get the civilians out of that camp. I deployed 400 NDP soldiers to the civilian barracks. The sight we saw was horrible and heartbreaking. What the Fire of Purification…what that monster did to our people was…unforgivable. Those that could walk helped us evacuate the those who couldn’t.”

“While the evacuation was taking place, I took a detachment and moved to join Master Chief P’tal at the barracks. We heard the explosion of the charges they set around the barracks, but then we heard an extended firefight and it didn’t sound like a battle that was going our way.”

P’tal picks up the story. “When we heard the firefight in the command center, we knew the Galra would come pouring out of the barracks. So, we figured we’d make things interesting for them. We set off the charges Mischeau placed around the building, which forced the troops inside to come out the entrance we were guarding. As they stumbled out, we mowed them down. We thought we had everything under control, until one of them got lucky and threw a grenade at us. It jarred us badly, and it stopped us from keeping sustained fire on the barracks. That allowed about fifty Fire of Purification fighters, all that were left of the camp guards, to get out of the barracks and fight us.”

“We were pinned down, and we all got hit. But once we regained our senses we didn’t stop shooting. We had to give the NDF time to evacuate the prisoners, which is exactly what they were doing during the firefight. But Doc didn’t abandon us. He and fifty of his NDF fighters circled to the rear of the Galra shooting at us and attacked them. When the Galra realized they were surrounded, they threw down their arms and surrendered.”

Sergeant Aspen picks up the story and shifts the scene to the inside of the command center. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. There were still four live Galra in an area just off the command center. One of them was Commander Zirpoc. They were using children as live shields…children…not more than five or six decaphoebs old. Zethrid confronted him.”

‘Zirpoc, you murdering bastard. First you starve these children, then you cower behind them like the coward you are. You are despicable. I should have killed you when I had the chance.’

‘I do what I must to survive, Zethrid. I see you do too. Blade of Marmora, eh? I guess the rumors are true. They are so depleted they will accept anyone out of desperation. That’s the only reason I would think they’d take in the likes of you. Did they also take in that little floozy of yours? What’s her name…Ezor?’

“I looked to see if the taunting was getting to her, but her expression didn’t change. She kept her cool and her focus. Those children were in danger and I know she was looking for a way to save them. Zirpoc wanted to negotiate a way off the planet, but Zethrid was having none of it.”

Doctor Onyxam witnessed the standoff from a different perspective. Unlike Zethrid and Aspen, he had the means to do something to rectify the situation. “Looking into the windows of the command center from our positions, we could see the confrontation between Zethrid and Zirpoc. We had our best NDF sharpshooters with us and I called them forward. They each picked a target, and they waited until all four had a clear shot. They had to shoot all at once. Otherwise some or all the children would be killed. When all four reported they had a clear shot, they fired.”

Aspen relates what happened inside the building. “We heard a loud crack…I realize now it was four ion rifles firing at once…and three of the Galra dropped immediately. Zirpoc was hit, but he wasn’t killed. Still, it was enough that he lost his grip on the child he was holding. Before he could pull the child back in, Zethrid was on him. She pulled her Blade and fought him. Except it wasn’t much of a fight. She had him down on the ground in four Blade strokes. We thought he was dead.”

“P’tal, Mischeau, and Doc came into the command center, and Zethrid asked if the civilians were ok. And…that’s when it happened.”

_“When…what happened?”_

“The bastard wasn’t dead after all, Commander Acxa. While we were distracted he crawled on his belly like a worm, grabbed an ion rifle, and as Zethrid turned around he shot her in the chest. Before he could do any more damage…Doc, P’tal, Mischeau, and I put him out of his misery. His shadow has been wiped away from the universe.”

Aspen looks down at the table as he recounts events. “We all thought Zethrid was dead, but…”, he turns to look Doctor Onyxam, “Doc…he didn’t believe that.”

Doctor Onyxam picks up the story from Aspen. “No, I didn’t. Not for one tick. I’ve had decaphoebs of experience treating trauma patients. I don’t give up on any of them. I guess I’m stubborn that way. I knew that Zethrid was half Crixan, and I’m familiar with Crixan physiology. They are a hearty stock and I knew she stood a good chance if I could control the bleeding. P’tal helped me get her stabilized on the spot. She was conscious the whole time.”

A muted P’tal picks up the story. “She asked me again if the civilians were ok. I told her they were, and that by now they were all out of the camp. I also told her that the planet was liberated, and the Neterians were all free. I told her that she made the right call. Aspen came over to help get her stabilized while I checked on the situation with the NDF.”

“The NDF had complete control of the compound now, and by default control over the planet. They herded the Fire of Purification prisoners…about sixty of them…into one of the barracks they had used to lock the families up. Not long after that, we boarded the ship and came home. Or…we tried to.”

Corporal Mischeau, the team’s pilot and weapons expert, had been silent up to this point. He breaks his silence to relate the team’s confrontation with a Galra cruiser. “I’m not sure how, but someone on Neteria alerted the Galra cruiser that the camp was under attack. They were waiting for us.”

“I knew the cruiser was under-staffed because they provided many of the guards for the camp and the facility. I know that because I had a chance to interrogate one of the officers while P’tal and Aspen were helping Doc get Zethrid stabilized. I thought their being understaffed would give us an edge and allow us to outrun them. I guessed wrong.”

“They shelled us pretty good, and I knew we would have to at least cripple them to slow them down. As I circled around to make a run, Aspen told me they had Synthian Nitrate on board the cruiser. He remembered hearing that on one of the transmissions Zethrid intercepted. That’s all I needed to know. Synthian Nitrate is highly volatile, and there’s only one place on a Galra cruiser set up to contain it. And we were making a run right at it.”

“Aspen took control of the ship as we came in for our attack run. We had one shot to get it right or we were all dead. As we passed by I gave the cruiser a triple volley. At first all we saw were the flashes from the impact of our blasts on the cruiser. Then the firing from the cruisers stopped and we started seeing flashes radiate out from where we hit it. I took the controls back from Aspen, got us up to maximum speed, and told everyone to hold on. The cruiser blew and created one massive shock wave. We’re lucky we got through it, but we managed to do it.”

P’tal places a hand on his shoulder. “Luck had nothing to do with it Mischeau. Your skills with weapons and as a pilot got us out of there and home safely.”

Krolia turns to Doctor Onyxam, puzzled. “One thing puzzles me, Doctor Onyxam. P’tal told us your family was in the camp. Why didn’t you stay with them, instead of coming here?”

“Senior Commander, my planet has been occupied for most of our recent history. First by the Galra under Zarkon. Then it was the Fire of Purification under Sendak, who were far worse if you can believe that. At least Zarkon left the indigenous alone. Sendak wanted to eradicate all non-Galra.”

“We Neterians heard the stories of Lotor and his bloodthirsty Generals. When I met Zethrid, I knew she was one of them. But she wasn’t at all like the person we heard about in those stories. She was with the Blade of Marmora, and that meant something to us. Zethrid and her team put their reputations, and their lives, on the line for us. To help us. To free us. I was given a chance to help them…to help her. For all she did for Neteria, it was the least I could do. The bloodthirsty General Zethrid we all heard about…that person was long gone, if they ever existed. I wanted to make sure that the real Zethrid didn’t die.”

“Blademaster, I implore you, do not discipline this team for violating their rules of engagement. Please. Consider the good their actions have wrought.”

All eyes turn toward a thoughtful Kolivan. “Thank you, Doctor. For all that you did to assist this team, and for saving the life of a Blade leader. As for these four and that very leader…”, turning to face the rest of the team assembled, he pauses for a moment. “…I have no intention of imposing any disciplinary action on them. They saw a target of opportunity, assessed the risks, and took decisive action. That’s been the way of the Blade of Marmora since we were founded.”

“P’tal…Aspen…Mischeau…well done! I’m proud of all of you. You made the right decision. Your actions liberated an entire planet and deprived the Fire of Purification of a key supply base. I’ll say that to Zethrid when she wakes up. Go with Meltok and Fromak. You’ve earned some rest. Take it. We’ll be calling on all of you again, soon.”

At that moment, the chief of the Blade Medical Department interrupts the meeting. “My apologies, Blademaster, but I wanted you to know that Zethrid is conscious now. We’ve upgraded her condition to stable. She’ll make a full recovery.”

“Excellent news, thank you! Doctor!” He turns and sees a hopeful expression on Ezor’s face. “Doctor, would you escort Ezor to Zethrid’s room?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Ezor, tell Zethrid I will be there to see her shortly. I don’t want her to hear about her promotion to Commander from anyone else.”

Ezor smiles broadly and salutes. “I’ll let her know you’re coming, Blademaster. Thank you.”

The briefing room empties, leaving only Kolivan, Krolia, and Acxa. Kolivan turns to Acxa and smiles warmly at her. “I knew the three of you had great potential, but Acxa I must say that you, Ezor, and Zethrid all exceeded my expectations. Well done! Between the three of you, we’ve gathered a lot of information.”

Acxa salutes and bows her head out of respect. _“I’m honored to hear that, Blademaster. I’m sure Ezor and Zethrid would be just as honored to hear those words from you.”_

“They will, Acxa. In about five doboshes. Let’s give them some time before I go barging in.”

Krolia smiles at Acxa and places her hand on her shoulder. “You’ve all done well. Now it’s time to put these puzzle pieces together with the ones you gathered and see what it is we’re up against.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is presented in this chapter is the culmination of a journey that began for Zethrid at the end of Chapter 5 The Ruins in Rejected by the Galra. She learned the true meaning of forgiveness from Acxa and Keith, who forgave her past actions and accepted her for who she really is. Across the four months since then she's made a sincere effort to clean up her act, while realizing that regaining Ezor's trust is not something that will come easily or quickly. P'tal mentioned in this chapter that she was not the single-minded, stubborn, unapproachable, temperamental General Zethrid the Blades had heard about. The significant emotional events she's lived through forced her to confront her shortcomings and gave her the impetus to change. She took the lessons she learned from Acxa and Keith and the mentoring she's received from P'tal to heart. Her journey toward full redemption is not over, but she made significant strides toward it in this chapter.
> 
> In the next chapter, the pieces of the puzzle are assembled and Acxa confronts her fears over her feelings for Keith.


	7. Perspectives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia consolidates the intelligence gathered by Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor and briefs the Blades. The picture that emerges from the assembly of the puzzle pieces is frightening. Acxa suffers a meltdown and is helped through it by someone she respects.
> 
> Posted 14 December 2019

**The Puzzle Assembled**

Four quintants after her successful raid on Neteria, Zethrid is out of Med Bay, but not yet cleared for duty. She is however, under Ezor’s watchful eye, able to attend the debriefing for senior Blade leaders being conducted by Kolivan and Krolia.

Kolivan is gathering together his senior leaders because the information Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor each brought back from their missions is troubling. Combined into a larger picture, it is downright disturbing. He wants to make sure the Blades fully understand what they are up against.

He also has an ulterior motive. The information was gathered by his latest leadership recruits. He intends to showcase their success to the rest of Blade leadership, and to that end he makes sure they are positioned at the front of his leaders, where they can all be seen. He is still hearing undertones of dissatisfaction with the Generals’ mere presence; their almost instant promotion to the rank of Commander is not sitting well with some. He intends to stamp out the dissatisfaction, as it’s something the Blades simply can’t afford to deal with right now.

As Kolivan enters the room, everyone snaps to attention and salutes. After returning their salutes, Kolivan begins the briefing. “It is good to see you all. We have critical information we need to share, and it is important that you not only know what it is, but how we obtained it. The threat we are now facing is far more treacherous than we could have possibly imagined. The information Krolia is about to share with us was gathered on separate missions by Commanders Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor.”

At the mention of their names, a murmur begins to ripple through the briefing room. For Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor, it is not unexpected; they sit there, stone-faced, and take it. Kolivan is not amused by the reaction of the other Blades and holds up his hand for silence.

He makes it a point to carefully scan the audience, from one side to another. After a dobosh of silence, which seems far longer to the assembled Blades, he speaks. “I understand that some of you are still not satisfied with my decision to extend an opportunity for Lotor’s former Generals to endure the Trials of Marmora. Quite frankly, if you disagree with that decision, it is your problem to deal with. The Trials of Marmora are open to anyone with Galra blood, which I will remind you they all have. I will also remind you that they successfully completed their Trials. If there were any intent on their part to deceive, or lack of will on their part to succeed, they would not be here with us today. Remember that. They are Blades, just like the rest of us in this room. Their actions on their initial missions for the Blades speak for themselves. So, I expect this to be the last time I need to address this situation. Is that clear to everyone?” Seeing and hearing no response from anyone, he barks out an order. “This requires an answer!”

Everyone gathered stands as one and salutes Kolivan.

“Very well. Be seated.” He turns to Krolia and nods. “You may begin the briefing Krolia.”

Nodding to Kolivan, Krolia steps forward to address the Blades. “As Kolivan said, the information I’m covering today was gathered by Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor at great personal risk to themselves and their teams. We suffered casualties on these missions, but their actions kept those casualty counts far lower than they would otherwise have been. They were each accompanied by one of our senior master chiefs. You all know Meltok, Fromak, and P’tal.” She points to the three of them standing shoulder to shoulder at the rear of the group. “You know they speak plainly and truthfully. If you have any doubt as to the trustworthiness or capabilities of our three newest Commanders, ask them.”

“Here is the situation. Our primary enemy right now is not the Galra Empire. Make no mistake, what is left of the Empire is still formidable, and they are dangerous. But there is an even graver immediate threat. They call themselves the Fire of Purification. They are a splinter group of pure blood Galra zealots. They are led by Commander Sendak.” Krolia pulls up a life-sized holographic image of Sendak for all to see. “Most of you know Sendak as one of Zarkon’s chief commanders, one who served in the outer rim of the Empire. He is smart, cunning, and dangerous. He fought Lotor for the position of Emperor at the Kral Zera and lost…thanks in part because of intervention by Voltron.”

“The Fire of Purification absorbed a number of smaller breakaway factions, most of them immediately following the chaos of the Kral Zera ceremony. Sendak spent most of the past three decaphoebs consolidating the groups’ power.” She pulls up a star map with three planets highlighted. “They established major supply and manufacturing bases on Wordaki, Biscarion and Neteria. They’ve grown to the point where they can legitimately challenge, but not necessarily defeat the Galra Empire in direct conflict. However, the Empire is not their target. Hold that thought, I’ll get back to it.”

“Let’s look first at the information our new Commanders gathered. Acxa first, since hers was the first of the three missions.” Krolia now zooms in on the first of the three highlighted planets. “Her mission was to scout the installation on Wordaki. This was a major base in the outer rim of the Empire, one that was formerly controlled by Lotor. We knew it was no longer controlled by the Empire, and we needed to determine who was running it now.”

“Master Chief Meltok and Sergeant Bars, members of her team, investigated the hangar complex and discovered the base was now a giant weapons depot. There are at least four fighter wings housed in that hangar complex. There are also warehouses containing stockpiles of small arms and assault weapons, and Battleship Class Balmeran crystals.”

“In the control room, Acxa, Specialist Anilea, and I confirmed that Wordaki is controlled by the Fire of Purification. We also discovered they are engaged in an offensive operation against a planet codenamed Objective S3. We could not identify which planet Objective S3 is at the time, but we did confirm the Fire of Purification launched an Armada against it. There was not much more information on the base regarding the invasion operation, but we did gather intel on their supply chain that we’ll be using against them.”

From the back of the room, Meltok gestures to Krolia. “Master Chief Meltok, you wish to say something?”

“Yes, Senior Commander. I wish to speak on behalf of Commander Acxa. You addressed the intelligence we gathered from Wordaki. There is something else everyone should know. The security around the Wordaki base is multi-layered and set up to detect any and all intruders. By rights it should be classified as impenetrable. She didn’t back down from the challenge. She crafted a plan that got us into that base undetected. I’ll say it again, with the security they had in place, I didn’t think that was possible. Once inside, we all knew they would probably discover us, and when they did we executed the escape plans she had us learn.”

“I heard some of you griping before the meeting that she lost a member of her team. It’s true, we lost Anilea. She died in the line of duty, as the warrior she was. Her sacrifice will not be forgotten. But our losses could have been much worse. Sergeant Bars and I found ourselves in a firefight and Bars was wounded. I advised Commander Acxa to execute Protocol 23, leave us there, and take back to our base the information she gathered from the control room. She broke protocol and came back for us. That was the right call. Not because it saved my skin. I would have died in place of Anilea without hesitation. It’s because of the information about what they are stockpiling that she brought back as a result. Commander Acxa saved the mission. At tremendous personal risk to herself.”

He turns and makes eye contact with Acxa. “I now serve Commander Acxa as her Master Chief, so let me be clear. I have her back. Because I know she has mine.”

Acxa looks to Meltok with an expression of appreciation and nods to her Master Chief. Meltok salutes her in return and makes sure the gesture is visible to the rest of the Blades.

Krolia zooms in on the second of the highlighted planets. “On Neteria the Fire of Purification established a facility for the manufacture of complex electronic parts for large weapons systems, to include Ion and Zaiforge cannon. What made this facility particularly heinous is the fact that it was staffed by slave labor.”

She now pulls up images, many of them graphic, taken by Zethrid’s team and the NDF of the concentration camp. “Over 200 entire extended families were herded into a concentration camp and held hostage, with those family members who could work being forced to do so. Those left behind in the camp were hostages. Their status as hostages ensured the labor force stayed in line and did their jobs. These family members were left to fend for themselves in squalid living conditions and little food to eat. Old, young, mothers, children. Many of the people in the camp were reduced to walking skeletons.”

Krolia pauses for a dobosh to let the full impact of her description of the Neterian crisis sink in. Every Blade present is visibly disgusted and upset by what they heard. Zethrid sits stone faced, staring at the images Krolia is displaying. Until she detects Ezor’s hand slipping into hers. “Hey…are you ok?”

Squeezing her hand in return, but not looking at her, she remains outwardly emotionless. Inside herself, she is in emotional turmoil. “Not really, Ez. These pictures are just the tip of the iceberg. I saw things in that camp that I can never unsee. And to think…I used to be part of the group that condoned those types of activities.”

Looking over to Zethrid, Krolia continues her briefing. “I use the past tense to describe the activities on Neteria because thanks to the efforts of Zethrid and her team, Neteria is now free of the Fire of Purification.”

From the back of the room comes the voice of Master Chief P’tal. She’s been doing a slow burn since the beginning of the briefing. P’tal detected the resentment several of the Blades still harbor toward her Commander and it is not sitting well with her. “It’s thanks to the leadership and foresight of Zethrid that the Neterians are free. She recognized the opportunity, she created the plan, she led us. Not only us, but the Neterian Defense Forces. They knew who she was, yet she quickly earned their trust. And she nearly died in her service to the Blades. Keep THAT in mind as you hear the rest of the facts brothers and sisters. Someone not committed to the Blades would not do what Zethrid did.”

Meltok smiles and claps P’tal on the shoulder as Krolia nods to her. “Well put, Master Chief P’tal.

Krolia now pulls up an image of Biscarion. It’s time to put the puzzle together for everyone. “Ezor’s mission to Biscarion is the one that filled in the missing pieces. First, her team got in, did their jobs, and got out. They discovered that the base is manufacturing crystals and complex system components for large weapons systems like Ion and Zaiforge cannon. Weapons systems needed to carry out a planetary invasion.”

“And they revealed the details of that invasion. We know the order of battle for the Fire of Purification, the names of the key leaders under Sendak, and the size of the forces deployed. We also discovered clear proof of the identity of Objective S3.” Krolia pauses for a moment, looks toward Acxa…and drops a bombshell. “Which is known to its indigenous population as Earth.”

Acxa had suspected for several quintants that Objective S3 might be Earth. That did not in any way lessen the shock of hearing it. She can only look down, shake her head and whisper to herself. _“No…”_

Ezor now reaches out to her to offer comfort. “I’m sorry, Acxa. I wanted to tell you sooner, but Kolivan told me to wait until they’d analyzed all the data and confirmed it.”

A Blade commander steps forward to ask Krolia a question. “Excuse me, Senior Commander. Where and what is Earth? I don’t understand why Sendak would attack such an insignificant planet. You make it sound like it’s the most important place in the universe.”

The tone of the question causes Acxa’s blood to boil. She glares at the Blade commander who asked the question. Krolia catches a glimpse of Acxa and sees the fire in her eyes. Acxa’s voice betrays the rage she is feeling inside as she stands and confronts the questioner.

_“For you and for anyone else that doesn’t know, Earth is the birth planet for four of the Paladins of Voltron. The Paladins are currently making their way through the Galactic Void toward Earth in search of a replacement for the Castle of Lions. Sendak knows the Paladins will respond to a Galra invasion. He’s counting on it. For all intents and purposes, the Paladins are walking into a trap!”_

Acxa clenches her fists at her side, eyes burning with anger. Her arm and shoulder muscles are coiled and ready to swing should the Blade commander say the wrong thing.

Krolia strides purposefully over to Acxa, standing between her and the very flustered Blade commander she confronted. “Acxa…I’ve got this.” Acxa does not respond to Krolia, and instead continues to stare down the other Blade commander. Krolia speaks to Acxa in a firm command voice. “Stand down, Commander! Return to your seat!” Acxa finally breaks eye contact, looks to Krolia, takes a step back and salutes. “My apologies, Senior Commander.”

Back in control of the briefing, Krolia lays out the plans of the Fire of Purification. “Ezor’s team uncovered what we believe is the entire Fire of Purification invasion plan for Earth, to include their order of battle. This is what we know.”

Krolia pulls up a hologram of Earth showing the deployment of the Fire of Purification fleets. “Their invasion armada consists of six fleets. Except for six cruisers, these fleets constitute the entirety of the Fire of Purification forces. The senior fleet commanders under Sendak are Rall, Jaxar, Polonus, Shartek, Koltemus, and Chiron. The invasion commenced about four phoebs ago, and except for one small area holding out, the entire planet is occupied. Sendak has screening forces out as far as Saturn, the sixth planet from the star Sol."

"His supply lines beyond that point are stretched very thin. Which tells us he’s not expecting to encounter any resistance. We originally thought Sendak only left four cruisers behind, but we subsequently learned there were two around Wordaki that were unaccounted for. Scratch the one that Specialist Mischeau destroyed during the escape of Ezor’s team from Biscarion and they are down to five. Those five cruisers are being used to maintain contact between his supply bases and the main body of the Fire of Purification forces around Earth.”

Krolia now displays photographic images, taken from Biscarion, of the Galaxy Garrison base. “The area on Earth holding out is a large base located on what the natives call the North American continent. The base is called the Galaxy Garrison, and according to Commander Acxa it’s the headquarters of the Earth Defense Forces. There are also active resistance cells that seem to be growing and harassing the invading forces with increasing effectiveness. Communications with Sendak indicate a growing frustration with both the resistance cells and the holdout of the Galaxy Garrison base. Intelligence indicates that the resistance cells are becoming more organized. There is one person who seems to be the leader and chief organizer of the resistance. A Lieutenant Commander Adam Wainright.”

One of the Blade commanders speaks up. “No matter how long the base holds out, they are doomed, and their resistance cells are doomed. What makes them think they can succeed?”

Kolivan steps forward. “What was it that made Marmora Delmarka believe his resistance cells had a chance against Zarkon and the Galra Empire? It was a belief that their cause was right and just, that they were fighting for those repressed and trampled down by the oppression of the Empire. They logically stood no chance at surviving, yet they survived and ultimately thrived. We follow in the footsteps of Marmora and his followers. We carry their traditions, and the memory of why we fight.”

“If you truly believe the resistance cells on Earth have no chance, then you’ve truly forgotten our history.”

Krolia now takes the lead in the briefing again. “This next bit of information is chilling. Sendak is taking orders from someone else. We’re not exactly sure who it is, but we found one instance of the name Haggar mixed in with some of Sendak’s communication logs. We all know who Haggar is.”

A murmur rises from the crowd, and a fury burns within Acxa as she mutters to herself. _“That witch…”_

“I mentioned earlier that Sendak’s supply lines are extended. During Ezor’s mission, she and her team made off with a shipment of Zaiforge Cannon lenses. Enough to power ten Zaiforge cannon. Those lenses were destined for Earth. It takes phoebs to manufacture one of those lenses, so this set back whatever plans Sendak had for them. But only temporarily.”

“Sendak’s line of supply from Earth back to Biscarion and Wordaki are tenuous. He’s left six cruisers and their fighter squadrons to defend their interests in this sector. The loss of Neteria hurt them, and they barely have enough firepower to hold onto Bescarion and Wordaki.”

Kolivan now steps forward to close the briefing. “There you have it. You now know what we’re up against. Make no mistake, the Fire of Purification is a dangerous threat. Their invasion of a small insignificant planet so far away may not seem important. But let’s call it what it is…a trap laid to capture and eliminate Voltron and the Paladins. We cannot allow that to happen.”

“We are in no state to fight the Fire of Purification head-on. So, we fight guerilla-style.” He pulls up the map of the star systems showing Biscarion and Wordaki. “We strike at the heart of his supply system. First we strangle it. Then we kill it. We don’t believe Sendak realizes the threat we pose to his rear areas, which makes it imperative that we strike quickly. Once that is done, we’ll start forcing the Fire of Purification to fall back towards the Solar System. Spirits willing, our timing will align with the reappearance of Voltron.”

He looks toward Acxa and offers her a shred of hope. “And make no mistake, Voltron will reappear. We must be ready for it.” Biting her lip, Acxa nods her understanding towards Kolivan.

“We cannot forget about the Galra Empire. They remain a threat, so we must be watchful of them. Which means we are forced to split our forces between the Fire of Purification and the Galra Empire. Emphasis will be placed on the Fire of Purification. You will all receive your orders in the coming quintants and movements.”

“Until then…prepare yourselves for battle.”

**Meltdown**

Acxa storms out of the room at the conclusion of the briefing. Seeing this, Krolia approaches Ezor and asks her what’s going on and where she might be headed.

“She’s been quiet and sullen ever since someone asked why we should care about what happens to Earth. She gets that way whenever someone or something makes her angry. It’s one way she deals with stress. My guess, she’s either at the pistol range blowing up targets, or in the training room shredding sparring dummies. Given what happened earlier, I would bet she’s in the training room. And I’d hate to be the dummy she’s sparring with.”

Ezor’s guess turns out to be the correct one. Krolia finds her in the training room, dressed for training, and sparring with a practice dummy. Watching her for a moment she realizes that she’s not sparring with it. She’s attacking the dummy in a blind rage.

In the time she’s known Acxa, Krolia learned how to read her, and she can tell something serious is on her mind. And she believes it’s more than an innocent question in the briefing room that is behind her rage.

Dressed for training herself, she sets her Blade next to Acxa’s, grabs a wooden training blade, and calls out to her. “Hey, hotshot! Would you like to go a few rounds with a live person?”

Acxa glares at her, trembling with anger. _“You don’t want to fight me right now, Krolia.”_

“No Acxa, I do. I have to fight you before you hurt yourself.”

_“And what exactly does that mean?”_ Before Krolia can answer, Acxa begins to attack her. Prepared for such a move, Krolia parries her strike and continues to do so. She’s hoping Acxa will eventually tire herself out and then start talking. She also knows it will take awhile for the physically fit Acxa to tire herself out.

“Come on, Acxa. I know something is on your mind. What is it?”

Acxa’s only response is a grunt, followed by a rapid series of strikes with her training blade. Krolia continues to parry the strikes, deliberately egging Acxa on. The more Krolia parries and taunts her, the harder and faster Acxa swings her training blade. Until, after a varga of sparring, the training blades are both demolished.

Both fighters are winded and breathing heavily. Acxa has the look in her eye of a wild animal, while Krolia has the look of a patient hunter out to tame her.

“Good. I was getting tired of fighting you with wood.” Krolia walks over to the side, grabs the real blades, and tosses Acxa’s to her. “Ready to put your big girl pants on and fight with the real thing?”

Tossing her ruined training blade aside, Acxa activates her Blade at the same time Krolia activates hers. Letting loose a primal scream, Acxa recommences her attack on Krolia.

As Krolia continues to parry Acxa’s attack, she continues her taunting. “Come on, kid, I know I taught you better than this. Your technique is way off.” The taunts only serve to trigger uncontrolled blade strikes on the part of Acxa, which quickly tire her out. This is exactly what Krolia was hoping for.

Sensing some weariness on Acxa’s part, Krolia shifts into offensive mode. Reaching into her bag of tricks, she executes some moves that Acxa’s not seen before. Surprised by these moves, she relaxes her grip on her Blade while resetting her feet and pays the price. With a swift stroke, Krolia strikes the blade from Acxa’s hand and knocks her to her knees.

Wide-eyed at what just happened, Acxa slams her forehead onto the mat and begins pounding it furiously with her fists. _“NO! NO! DAMMIT NO, THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!”_ Hyperventilating, she pulls herself back up into a kneeling position, her haunches resting on her heels. The inner anguish she is struggling with is clearly etched on her face.

Krolia drops to a kneeling position in front of her, setting her blade off to the side. “Acxa, breathe slowly. You’re going to pass out from hyperventilation.” Acxa slows her breathing, but it doesn’t change her demeanor. Krolia can tell she’s got a lot to get off her chest, and she needs to do so before the weight of it crushes her. “That’s better. Ok Acxa, what is it that’s bothering you? It’s just the two of us. It’s safe to talk here.”

Acxa looks across at Krolia, makes direct eye contact, and proceeds to melt down. While emotionally distraught, she does not cry.

_“I’ve spent my whole life believing it was my fate to be alone for the rest of my life. And I’d finally reached a point where I accepted my fate. And then I met him. Keith. Someone I first learned to respect as an honorable enemy. Then, I grew to admire him. Then, I developed feelings for him. And I started thinking, maybe I’m not alone in this universe.”_

_“Now, he’s lost somewhere out in the void. I don’t know where he is, if he’s alive or dead. I don’t know any of that. All I know is that he’s heading to his birth planet. And if he shows up there, he’s walking right into a trap. And I feel…I feel so helpless. There’s nothing I can to do help him Krolia…nothing I can do...except watch him die.” _

Her shoulders slump, and her chin sinks to her chest. She is emotionally defeated, the fight completely out of her. Krolia gently reaches over to her and lifts her chin up. She looks into her eyes and speaks to her reassuringly.

“Acxa, we are not going to watch him die. We…you and I…we’re not going to let that happen. There are things we can do, and things we are going to do. Together. Tomorrow morning there is no training. I’m giving you and Meltok a mission briefing. We’re going to strike against the Fire of Purification. Don’t lose hope.”

_“What is hope, Krolia? Just some abstract construct people use to get through the misery of their lives? My life has been a string of one miserable occurrence after another”_

“And yet you persevered after every one, Acxa. They made you the person you are today.”

_“What kind of person is that? A miserable one no one wants? Not even my own family on Corillia wanted me.”_

“NO! You are an amazingly talented woman with a drive and a fire to live and succeed in everything you do. Don’t let the shroud of past setbacks blind you to the possibilities in front of you. You’ve had good things happen in your life as well. Don’t overlook them.”

_“Good things? Name one.”_

“You met Keith. You fell in love with Keith. You just told me as much.”

“_What? I…no…I mean…I care for him, but…”_

“Acxa, you need to be honest with yourself. If you’re not in love with him, why are you so upset about the situation with the Fire of Purification and their attack on Earth? Why are you so fearful of what will happen to Keith?”

_“I…it’s…”_ She lowers her head, feeling ashamed of what she’s about to say. _“I’m afraid”_

“Of what, Acxa?”

_“What if…he doesn’t feel that way about me?”_

“Is it really that…or is it that you’re afraid of what may happen if he does feel that way about you? Let me ask you a question, Acxa. Are you afraid of being happy?”

_“Happy? What’s that? I don’t think I’ve ever been happy a day in my life.”_

“I don’t think that’s true. That day on the Black Lion…when Keith taught you how to make pancakes. You wore a grin from ear-to-ear. You also had flour on your nose and cheeks if I remember correctly.”

Acxa allows a grin to escape at the memory of that day. _“Yes, thanks to Keith.”_ And then it dawns on her. How did Krolia even know about making pancakes? _“Wait a tick…you saw all of that?”_

Busted. Krolia decides it’s time to confess to a bit of parental spying. “You two made such a racket that I got up to see what was going on. When I saw the two of you, I stayed in the shadows and watched for a few doboshes. Know what I saw?”

Acxa is almost afraid to ask. _“No…what did you see?”_

“I saw a young woman and a young man enjoying each other’s company while doing something as mundane as making breakfast. They were happy being together. You…were happy. So, you see…you do know what happy feels like. And you are deathly afraid of losing the one person you believe to be your one shot at lifetime happiness. Baby girl…if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”

_“But Krolia…if he were here…I’d be…terrified to say anything.”_

“Acxa, admitting to yourself that you’re in love with someone is hard. The first time you stand in front of that special someone and try to tell them you love them is terrifying. More terrifying than going into battle.”

_“Krolia…why are you being so kind to me, so helpful? You should be chewing me out for being such a weak-kneed wimp who still needs to grow up.”_

Krolia smiles reassuringly. “Well, let’s see. Setting aside the fact that I’m your trainer and I’m supposed to help you…you’re the daughter I never had. I see so much promise in you. But there is this perpetual cloud of anger hovering over you. It’s holding you back from doing so many wonderful things. I don’t know if you can ever be rid of it entirely…but I want to help you learn how to control it.”

The two women stand and embrace, with Acxa giving Krolia an extra tight hug. _“Thank you, Krolia.”_

Stepping back and looking Acxa in the eye, Krolia tells her, “You’re welcome, sweetie. That’s enough training for one day. Rest up. Mission briefing tomorrow.”

_“We take the fight to Sendak?_

“We take the fight to Sendak!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea behind Acxa's meltdown scene in this chapter comes from the manga Berserk. Specifically the scene at the waterfall between Guts and Casca, after Guts returns to the Band of the Hawk. Acxa's attitude and wild attacks in her sparring match against Krolia were inspired by Casca's meltdown against Guts.
> 
> Coming up in the next chapter - The liberation of Wordaki is the first step in the fight against the Blades. Acxa and Zethrid showcase their growth as tactical leaders.


	8. The Wings of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ezor maintains a blockade against Biscarion, Acxa, with the help of Zethrid, leads the Blades in the final assault on Wordaki.
> 
> Posted 14 December 2019

**Wordaki**

The cruiser slips into orbit around Wordaki. They are there in response to an urgent message from the base. Contact with the light cruiser that had been in orbit around the planet was cut off, and the cruiser is feared lost. If that is the case, this would be the latest and worst raid conducted to date by the Blade of Marmora around Wordaki.

For the last two phoebs, the Blades have been interdicting shipments of food and other supplies to the base, and stocks of essentials are running dangerously low as a result. The commander of the base is apoplectic, and at his insistence one of the three heavy cruisers based at Biscarion have responded to his call. One varga after entering orbit, they find the evidence they hoped they would not find.

The evidence is a large debris field, some of which contain the unmistakable markings of the missing cruiser. Gazing out at the sight, the Lieutenant of the cruiser can only shake his head. “Captain…how could this happen? How can a band of rebel scum like the Blade of Marmora take down a Galra cruiser?”

Without warning, the emergency klaxons begin to blare throughout the ship. All the emergency bulkheads, designed to keep the ship pressurized in the event of a hull breech, come crashing down into place.

“LIEUTENANT! What in the name of The Fire of Purification is going on?”

“I’m not certain sir. It seems we’ve been locked out of all the control circuits. I’m not sure how it happened or who did it?”

As quickly as they sounded, the klaxons cease their racket. At the same time, all the sentry droids go off-line and collapse where they stood. On the now still bridge, the sound of a blaster pistol powering up can be clearly heard. Pulling his pistol and turning to face the intruder, the Lieutenant’s hand recoils in pain as his weapon is shot out of it.

Stepping out of the shadows, her pistol leveled at the Lieutenant’s head, comes Acxa. _“I wouldn’t make any sudden moves, Lieutenant. You almost lost your hand. You don’t want to lose your head.”_

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! Who are you? As Captain of this ship I demand you lower your weapon now!”

Before the Captain can utter another word, a Blade appears at his throat. “With all due respect Captain, I don’t like it when someone threatens my Commander. Now, carefully pull your sidearm out of your holster and drop it down the well.” When the Captain hesitates for a dobosh, Meltok screams in his ear. “DO IT!” Moving quickly, the pistol clatters down the service well.

_“Meltok, take these two and cuff them inside the storage closet next to the Captain’s Ready Room. Make sure there’s nothing in there that they can use to get into…mischief.”_

The Bridge secure, Acxa calls down to Engineering. _“Krolia, we’re in control here. What’s your status?”_

“We’re in control here as well, Acxa. Bars has the ship locked down tightly, sentry droids are offline and disabled. Once we’ve completed the reprogramming, they’ll be working for us. I’m on my way up to join you. Bars can handle the engine room until Meltok can get there.”

Moving to a computer console, Acxa checks the ship for other crew members. _“Bars, it looks like we have about forty live Galra spread out among five compartments in the ship. I’m sending you the locations now. We just need to work around them.”_

Bars comes through with a solution. “Not really, Commander. I can flood those compartments with an inhibiting agent that would knock out a Weblum. Once they're out cold, we can use our reprogrammed sentry droids to move them into the brig.”

Meltok, having secured the Captain and Lieutenant, approaches Acxa and overhears the conversation between her and Bars. Having observed how Meltok and Bars continue to poke at each other in fun, she decides to join in. _“You know Bars, I don’t care what Master Chief says. You do add value to the team.”_

“Thanks, Commander. You can tell Master Chief I have some choice…wait a tick…he’s standing right next to you isn’t he?”

Folding his arms, Meltok looks first at Acxa, then speaks into the console. “That I am, Bars. Now, what were you going to say?”

“Um…it looks like we just captured an entire fighter wing? Yeah, that’s it.”

Meltok can only roll his eyes. “Stop joking around and wasting our time, Bars.”

“Not joking, Master Chief. We’ve seriously captured an entire fighter wing! Forty-eight fighters in the main hangar bay!”

_“Too bad we don’t have pilots for them.”_

“Not yet, Commander, but we will. It looks like there are about fifty pilot droids on board. Once we’ve reprogrammed them, you’ll have your pilots.”

The tone in Acxa’s voice quickly turns hopeful. _“Bars, you can do that?”_

“Affirmative. There are a few extra steps, but I can do it. Tell Master Chief I could use a hand with that.”

“On my way. And Bars…all kidding aside…nice work.”

Shortly after Meltok departs for the Engine Room, Krolia joins Acxa on the Bridge. She pats her young protégé on the back. “Well done, Acxa. You were right…it is possible to take down a heavy cruiser.”

_“You do know I’ve done it before, right? Twice? You were with me the second time.”_

“Yes, but that one was crippled. Anyway, great call on your part. Now we have a cruiser and a fighter wing. Still not enough to take on Sendak head on. Not by a long shot.”

_“No, but we can and will make life back here for the Fire of Purification a living hell. Just like we’ve been doing to that base on Wordaki for the past two phoebs. How many supply ships have we commandeered since we started? Twenty? Now we have the firepower to close the deal and kick the Fire of Purification off Wordaki for good.”_

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Acxa. We still need to deal with that band of pirates that have been running our blockade. And, we still need to be concerned about the three cruisers left around Biscarion.”

_“Well, so far Ezor’s been keeping them busy. Hopefully she can continue to keep them occupied until we eliminate the pirates._

“To that point. The Wordaki liberation is yours to lead. I’m heading back to Blade headquarters so that I can track what you and Ezor are doing and get the two of you any reinforcements you may need.”

**Pirates**

The pirate band Acxa refers to are the Gingarans. A small band of mercenaries and opportunists who hire their services out to the highest bidder. At this moment they are working for the commander of the Fire of Purification base on Wordaki as blockade runners. For the past phoeb, they’ve managed to get enough supplies in to Wordaki that the base can continue to operate.

With no set home base of their own to track them to, finding the pirates proves to be an elusive and frustrating task for Acxa. To aid in this effort, Kolivan assigns Zethrid the task of finding them.

After receiving a briefing from Acxa on what is known about the pirates, she sets about developing a strategy.

“How is it that these pirate supply ships can make it into Wordaki undetected?”

_“Their ships are very fast. They make a run into the planet at top speed. We can’t get more than one or two shots off at them before they are past us. They come in at a steep angle so that they don’t skip off the atmosphere and out into space. Once they enter the atmosphere, they brake hard. By then they’re past our blockade and under cover of the Wordaki fighter screen.”_

“Whenever the pirates make a run into Wordaki, they must eventually come out, right?”

_“Well, yes. Usually under the cover of that fighter screen, which keeps us occupied long enough that they can get up to speed and get away. The problem for their ships is that the entry into the planet’s atmosphere forces the Wordaki ground crews to make repairs to the ships shielding system. Even with that, they’ve been turning ships around in about fourteen vargas.”_

_“Now that we have a cruiser and a fighter wing of our own, we should be able to slow them down.”_

“Yes, but we won’t be able to stop them entirely. The next time one of those ships comes out, don’t attack it with the intent to destroy it. In fact, the next time one of those supply ships comes in, don’t attack it with the intent to destroy it. Look, I know you’ll hate this idea, but make them think we’re horrible shots.”

Pretend to be a horrible shot? Such a concept is foreign to Acxa. _“What? Why?”_

“I told you that you wouldn’t like that idea. Make them think it’s business as usual regarding the siege. P’tal and I will follow them when they come off planet and track them to their base. Once we find it, we’ll see what it will take to put an end to things on their base. Once I’m clear of Wordaki, resume regular blockade operations. But don’t commit your cruiser and fighters to the blockade. We’ll use them to wipe out the pirates once we locate them. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.”

Three quintants later, the opportunity Zethrid was hoping for arrives. A pirate shuttle comes screaming out of the blackness of space. After dodging a few token shots, the shuttle lands safely on Wordaki.

On their small and fast Blade shuttle, Zethrid and P’tal watch with interest. “P’tal, are we ready?”

“Affirmative, Commander. Once that ship takes off, we’re ready to tail them. Our anti-radar system should mask us and keep us off their screens. If it doesn’t we’ll know soon enough.”

Fourteen vargas later, the pirate shuttle rockets off Wordaki, under cover of the short-range fighters from the base. As the shuttle threads it’s way through the clutter of a firefight, P’tal skillfully maneuvers the Blade of Marmora shuttle into a chase position to follow it.

“Now, let’s see where we wind up.”

As Zethrid and P’tal track the pirates, Acxa follows them in their cruiser, taking care to remain out of radar range of the pirates. Everyone’s patience soon pays off.

Entering a dense asteroid field, the pirate shuttle makes for a large asteroid well inside the field. Alerting Acxa, Zethrid and P’tal put their shuttle on the back side of a small asteroid near the pirate base, effectively screening it from any base radars. Moving to the front side of the meteoroid, the two Blades begin their observation activities.

Clustered around the asteroid are four large cargo ships. Moving between the cargo ships and the asteroid are four pirate shuttles. Located on the asteroid is what appears to be an old Galra listening post, now being used to maintain the shuttles.

The setup is a familiar one to Zethrid. “The Empire used these listening posts to keep track of what was going on in the outer reaches. That facility on the asteroid was originally designed to house a fighter squadron. My guess is that they are using the facility to repair their shuttles and to control base operations. The supplies look like they’re being loaded directly into the pirate shuttles from the supply ships.”

“Let’s put an end to this. Time to call in Acxa and let her break a few things.”

“So, what do we do in the meantime, Commander?”

“Grab your favorite snack, Master Chief. Then sit back and watch the fireworks.”

Two vargas later, forty-eight fighters roar through the asteroid field and descend upon the pirate operation. Caught completely unaware, the four pirate shuttles that are moving between the base and the supply ships are destroyed. The fighter group then splits in two, with half of them moving in to disable the supply ships while the other half attack the base.

It doesn’t take the base long to recover from the shock of the initial attack, and they soon mount an impressive defensive wall of fire. It proves to be short-lived, as Acxa’s cruiser maneuvers into position and opens fire on the base with it’s Ion cannon. The battle is over in a matter of doboshes as the base is completely smashed. Seeing the destruction of the base, and unable to move because of damage to their engines, the supply ships signal their surrender.

On the bridge of the Blade cruiser, Acxa watches the short battle with a great deal of satisfaction. _“Sergeant Bars, nice work reprogramming the pilot droids. They functioned perfectly. Status report.”_

“Four fighters damaged, none destroyed. Recovery of all fighters should be completed in less than ten doboshes.”

_“Excellent.”_

“Commander Acxa, I’ve got Commander Zethrid on the comm link. She’s reporting her shuttle took damage in the battle and…she and Master Chief P’tal are marooned and need a pickup.”

_“On screen, Meltok. This should be interesting.”_

Zethrid’s image pops onto the screen, and Acxa and Meltok start chuckling at the sight. Not at Zethrid, but at the sight of an obviously unhappy P’tal, staring at their wrecked shuttle. P’tal is speaking, but Acxa can’t make out the words.

_“Zethrid, great job locating the pirates. It looks like…you and P’tal could use a ride. What happened? And what is P’tal saying? We can’t make it out.”_

“Yeah, that’s just as well. She’s cursing, and it’s nothing I want to repeat. One of the pirate shuttles your fighters hit took out our ship. Almost got us. So, we’re marooned on a meteoroid and could use a lift.”

Now Acxa is laughing out loud. _“Stuck on a meteoroid again, Zethrid? You should be used to it by now.”_

Zethrid on the other hand is not amused. “So, are you going to come pick us up, or do we need to sneak on board and take over your cruiser? I’m used to doing that, too.”

_“Ok, point made. Stand by, we’re coming to get you.”_

**Liberation of Wordaki**

With the pirates supplying Wordaki eliminated, and the addition of Acxa’s cruiser and fighter wing to the blockade, the noose around Wordaki tightens. No supplies are getting in or out of the base. After a phoeb with no resupply runs, the situation on the base becomes critical. To break the stalemate, the commander of the Biscarion base sends one of the cruisers to relieve the besieged Wordaki garrison.

Anticipating the departure of one of the cruisers for Wordaki, Ezor alerts Acxa that one is heading her way. And Acxa has a special reception waiting for them.

Knowing the direction the Fire of Purification cruiser is coming from, Acxa maneuvers her ship so that it is masked by the brightness of Wordaki’s sun. While they may be detected on radar, they are visually undetectable to the naked eye. As the cruiser moves in to the Wordaki system, they are swarmed by Acxa’s fighter wing.

Launching fighters of their own, a pitched battle soon ensues around the Fire of Purification cruiser. Acxa keeps her cruiser out of the battle for the moment, but maneuvers in such a way that she is now visible to her foe. Given the element of surprise, she could have destroyed the Fire of Purification cruiser with minimal fuss. But she has no intention of destroying it.

With the full attention of the Fire of Purification cruiser crew focused on the battle, they fail to spot four small Blade of Marmora shuttles attaching themselves to the side of the cruiser. Sixteen Blades, led by Zethrid, file into the ship and move to their targets. One group moves to take control of the engine room. Another group moves to commandeer life support systems. The third group heads to the hangar bays, while the fourth group makes their way to the Bridge.

The takeover is complete in a matter of doboshes. The airtight doors on the cruser are slammed shut, trapping the crew in their compartments. Sergeant Bars, detached from Acxa’s team to support the takedown, first disables the sentry droids on the cruiser, then does the same to the pilot droids in the cruiser’s fighter wing. He sends a pre-arranged signal to Acxa’s fighters at the same time he sends the deactivation signal to the Fire of Purification pilot droids. The battle comes to an immediate and decisive halt as the Fire of Purification fighters power down.

“Acxa, this is Zethrid. We have control of the cruiser. Moving to put the live Galra in the brig now. Bars is reprogramming the sentry droids on the ship. We could use some help rounding up our disabled fighters so he can do the same to the pilot droids.”

_“Roger that, Zethrid. We're on it. Well done! Let me know what else you need, and let me know when you’re ready to begin the final phase.”_

_“It’s time to put Wordaki base out of its misery.”_

It takes two quintants and the effort of many Blades, but the second captured cruiser is now fully operational for the Blade of Marmora.

_“Open a hailing frequency to Wordaki base.”_ With the frequency open and in contact with the base commander, Acxa issues an ultimatum. _“Wordaki base. You are surrounded. Lay down your arms and we can avoid needless bloodshed. Pick up your arms, and you will be destroyed. You have fifteen doboshes to respond.”_

“This is Commander Furtak of the Fire of Purification. Your threats are meaningless to us. Do your worst and we will crush you. But before we do, I’d like to know to whom I’m speaking, so that I may include that in my report to Commander Sendak.”

Acxa is in no mood to put up with idle threats. _“We are the Wings of Death. And you will meet us soon enough.”_ Looking to her left, Acxa makes a slashing gesture across her throat, and the transmission ends.

“Wings of Death? Commander, where did that come from.”

_“That bastard pissed me off, Master Chief. I wanted to let him know that.”_

“Huh…I like how you think!”

Executing their plan of attack, the assault on Wordaki is launched.

Phase One of the attack is the elimination of the surface-to-air defenses. The cruisers take the lead by moving in on the outer base defenses and bombarding them with their heavy ion cannon. Standing up to the cannon fire at first, the outer air defenses soon crumble under the weight of the assault. With the main air defenses out of commission, Acxa launches one of her two fighter wings to clean up the remaining weapons installations. Her second fighter wing engages the Fire of Purification fighters from the base. Those fighters are older models than hers and prove to be no match.

With the completion of the first phase of the attack plan, her fighters to have a clear path for the next phase of the attack.

Phase Two is the bombardment of Wordaki base itself. Subjected to heavy ion cannon bombardment, the particle barrier surrounding the base weakens to the point that it may be attacked by fighters. Now, Acxa unleashes the full fury of all 96 fighters of her fighter wings. Penetrating holes in the particle barrier, the fighters take out the remaining barrier generators. With that action completed, her fighters turn their attention to the walls of the base itself, blasting holes through which the ground assault teams will enter.

Phase Three of the assault is the ground attack, led by Zethrid. As the senior commander on the ground, Zethrid now takes tactical control of the operation while Acxa maintains strategic responsibility. Calling on all available Blades plus all available sentry droids from the cruisers, Zethrid leads the largest Blade ground assault since the battle against Macidus and the Druids.

Unlike that battle, this one has a much different outcome.

The ground battle rages for over one varga. The final redoubt for the Fire of Purification forces is the Control Center. The commander of the base sends an urgent message to his counterpart on Biscarion, letting them know of the attack on Wordaki by a faction of the Blades known as the ‘Wings of Death’. He also advises the commander on Biscarion that the Blades have captured two heavy cruisers and are using them in the assault. Before any further messages can get out, the doors to the control center are blasted open.

Pouring through the breech, the Blades quickly overrun the control center, and the remaining Fire of Purification forces surrender.

Suspecting the base commander may have tried to send a message before the control center fell, P’tal soon discovers that’s exactly what they did. She immediately advises Zethrid, who is interviewing the base commander.

“So, you got a message out to your friends on Biscarion?”

“That’s right, half-breed scum! Enjoy your brief victory now. Soon we will crush all of you and take our rightful place at the head of the Empire.”

One thing Zethrid does not like is being called is half-breed scum. She put up with that in the orphanage on Corillia, and she’s in no mood to take it from a xenophobic zealot. She grabs the base commander by the front of his uniform and pulls him up to her eye level.

“You listen to me, asshole. I’ve dealt with pieces of crap like you all my life. I ran into one of your buddies on Neteria. Zirpoc. He said the same thing. Before we beat the life out of him. So, you believe what you want to believe. But know this. We’re coming for your friends on Biscarion. Then we’re coming for Sendak. If you think Voltron is the only thing the Fire of Purification has to worry about…you are sadly mistaken.”

Zethrid forcibly throws the base commander to the ground.

“Master Chief, get this shite out of my sight. He’s giving purebloods a bad name.”

“With pleasure, Commander Zethrid!”

**The Reward for Doing a Good Job**

Following the successful completion of the operation on Wordaki, Kolivan recalls Acxa and her team back to Blade headquarters. Zethrid takes command of the captured base on Wordaki, while Ezor continues to manage the blockade of Biscarion.

Initially resistant to the idea of returning to base, Acxa eventually relents after speaking with Krolia and discovering that Kolivan is looking to implement the next phase of his strategy against the Fire of Purification. The purpose of the recall is to brief them on that strategy.

Entering Kolivan’s office, Acxa and Master Chief Meltok are warmly greeted by Kolivan. “Ah, the liberators of Wordaki. Excellent work, both of you.”

As they both salute Kolivan, Acxa greets him. _“Thank you, Blademaster. Many Blades contributed to the victory. And…to be honest…it was good to lead a large force into battle again.”_

Krolia enters the room, having overheard Acxa’s greeting. “Good. Because you’ll be leading a larger force for the next attack.”

_“A larger force? What’s the objective?”_

Kolivan gives her the answer she was hoping for. “Biscarion. We’re going to eliminate the Fire of Purification as a viable fighting force in this sector of space and deprive Sendak of a key military supply base. To do that, I need my best large-force field commander to lead it. That’s why you’re here.”

Meltok leans in to Acxa and whispers to her. “Old Galra saying, Commander. Your reward for doing a good job is more work.”

Acxa chuckles to herself. _“I’m familiar with the saying, but thanks for the reminder!”_

Krolia pulls up a display of the defenses of Biscarion. “We need you to develop the operations plan. Ready to see what you’re up against?”

_“Let’s do this!”_

“There are two cruisers left, out of an original force of six left by the Fire of Purification to guard Wordaki, Neteria, and Biscarion. We must assume that Sendak is aware of the mischief we’ve caused him back here, and that he may decide to send some reinforcements back to hold Biscarion, or retake Wordaki and Neteria. So far we’ve seen nothing to indicate he’s doing that, and I’m guessing he won’t. He’ll want all of his forces in place around Earth when Voltron shows up.”

Acxa speaks up hopefully. _“Speaking of Voltron…”_

Kolivan gives her the answer she expected. “No Acxa, no sign of them yet. But don’t worry. Unless they found a power source we don’t know about, they still have a long way to go. It’s only been three phoebs since we left them.”

_“I see.”_ She turns her attention back to the hologram of Biscarion. _“What is the status of the ground forces?”_

“With two cruisers in place there is still an open supply route in to the base.”

Meltok mutters thoughtfully. “Good for them…”

Acxa finishes the thought. _“…bad for us.”_

“However, with the pirates eliminated, and no other group willing to supply them, their food supplies are running low.”

Meltok smiles as he and Acxa share a knowing look. “Bad for them…”

_“…good for us!”_

Krolia hands Acxa and Meltok tablets with troop and resource information. “These are the resources you’ll have at your disposal for the operation. It will take us two quintants to assemble them, and then probably another two quintants before they’re ready to be used in an operation. You have three quintants to put your plan together.”

_“Got it. We’ll need to include Ezor in the planning, since she’s led the Biscarion blockade for the past three phoebs.”_

Kolivan places his hand on Acxa’s shoulder. “That makes perfect sense. If you need Ezor here, we’ll get her here. If I didn’t make it clear at the beginning of this meeting, I’ll say it again. Acxa, this is your operation. Give us your plan and tell us what you need.”

_“Understood, Blademaster. If we may, Meltok and I can get started on the framework for the plan, and then go after it hard tomorrow. We’re all exhausted at this point.”_

“Of course. May you both be guided by the Supreme Spirit”

**Mosellian Wine**

Two vargas later Acxa leaves the meeting room, while Meltok lingers behind to handle some details. Walking down the hallway towards her quarters, she comes across a pensive Krolia. It’s apparent she has something on her mind, as Krolia does not react at all to Acxa’s approach.

Before Acxa can say anything, and without looking up, Krolia says, “Acxa, do you know the significance of this quintant?”

“No. Should I?”

“It’s Keith’s birthday.”

“Um…ok. Is that an important date? If so, for whom? For you for giving birth, or for Keith for being born? It seems to me that as Keith’s mother you’re the one who should be celebrated. You went through all the pain and stress of carrying him and then gave birth to him. Keith was just along for the ride…literally. He just…showed up.”

As Krolia slips back into silence, Acxa moves next to her and leans against the wall. And she remembers why she didn’t want to return to base in the first place. She has too much free time on her hands. Too much time to think about the one person she is truly missing. They stand there together, both looking somber, for several doboshes.

They are still there when an exhausted Meltok passes by, making his way to his quarters. He stops and gazes quizzically at them. “Krolia?...Acxa?...Communications check. Are you still with us?”

The both snap out of their daze at the same time. “What…oh…ah…right.”

“Is…everything ok? You both seem sad about something.”

_“Yes, Master Chief, we’re fine. Everything’s fine. We’re just two people, doing fine, leaning up against the wall, no cares in the world, not thinking about someone we miss, nope, not at all.”_

“Uh huh. Doing fine, is it? You’re not convincing me. I’ve seen happier people at a funeral.”

“Trust me, Meltok, we’re fine.”

“Ok, if you say so. If I may suggest, some twenty-decaphoeb old Mosellian wine will solve any problems you may have. Have a good evening!”

As Meltok walks down the corridor toward his quarters, Krolia turns to Acxa. “I was actually waiting for you. Come on, you and I are going to relax and celebrate this evening!”

_“Ah…sure! What are we celebrating again?”_

“ACXA! What were we just talking about?”

_“Oh, right. We’re celebrating you for giving birth to Keith!”_

Krolia puts her head in her hand. “No, we’re celebrating Keith being born! Celebrating birthdays is an Earth tradition. I learned about it from Keith’s father. Come on in, I’ll show you.”

On the table in Krolia’s quarters, Acxa notices a strange round…thing…sitting on the table. Next to it is a bottle of Mosellian wine. A very large bottle of Mosellian wine. Acxa picks up the bottle and, seeing it is twenty-decaphoeb old Mosellian wine, turns to Krolia with a wry smile on her face. _“Planning on getting drunk, are we?”_

“Drunk? No. Of course not. We’re just going to get a nice buzz and feel…happy.”

Acxa can’t help but laugh at the pun. She notices writing on the strange round thing. It reads ‘Happy Birthday Keith’.

_“Krolia…what is this?”_

“It’s a birthday cake. It’s part of the birthday tradition.”

_“Very colorful.” _Pausing to study it for a moment, she asks, _“What do you do with it?”_

Krolia rolls her eyes and sighs. “Oh, Acxa. Sometimes you can be so…you eat it.”

_“How does it taste?”_

“Sweet and yummy. When Stephen…Keith’s father…made one for Keith’s first birthday, I was really hesitant to try it. But it was delicious.” She cuts two enormous slices, plates them, and hands one to Acxa. “Here, try it.”

Taking a bite, her eyes instantly light up. _“By the Spirits! This is delicious!”_

“Not quite as good as Stephens’, but close.” She pours a generous portion of the wine into two glasses and hands Acxa one. “Here. Wash it down with some of this.”

Settling down on the divan in Krolia’s quarters, the two women enjoy the cake and wine, and begin to talk.

_“So…besides food and drink, what does one do to celebrate a birthday?”_

“Well, according to Stephen, there is a tradition where the parents tell embarrassing stories about the birthday person to their guests. I believe they call it payback for all the aggravation they gave the parent over the previous year.”

Beginning to feel very…happy…from the wine, Acxa tucks her feet under her and, with a smile on her face and wine swishing in her glass, turns to Krolia. “_Ok, so…I’m listening.”_

“Listening for what?”

“_I want to hear about baby Keith. You know…”_

“Oh, you want something you can hold over him when you meet up with him again.”

Acxa smiles, still swishing and twirling the wine in her glass. “_Of course I do!”_

Krolia looks up at the ceiling, pondering the answer to Acxa’s question. “Oh, Acxa. Where to start. Keith is so much like his father, yet different in his own way. As a baby he had a set of lungs on him. When he would cry in the middle of the night, I swore he was waking up the neighbors on the next farm. Even though they were five miles away. When we put him on baby formula, he could drink a bottle in a matter of doboshes. Then he would throw it across the room. One day he threw it and hit me right between the eyes. Stephen started laughing. Hysterically. I told him if he kept it up he was sleeping on the sofa that night.”

“_So, where did he wind up sleeping?”_

“On the sofa. He was very apologetic the next morning. I had breakfast in bed, he took care of Keith, and did all the housework that day.”

_“And I’m sure you milked it for all it was worth.”_

“Of course, I did. I’m not stupid. But, I didn’t stay mad at Stephen. I never could. I loved him so much. He was always there for me when I needed him. I’m not just talking about the big, heroic stuff. I’m talking about the times when Keith was fighting colic and he sat with him until he settled down. Or the times when Keith would wake up in the middle of the night, wanting to be fed, and he would get up and feed him.”

_“Some people might say that’s heroic. I don’t know the first thing about babies. I’m not sure I’d know what to do to feed a newborn.”_

“I didn’t either. But you’ll figure it out…when your time comes.”

_“You mean if my time comes.”_

“No…I meant when.” She holds her glass up as if toasting Acxa, then takes a slow sip. She takes great pleasure watching the shocked reaction of her young protégé.

_“Um…what?”_ Her reaction is a mixture of confusion and terror as she visualizes the act of breastfeeding a ravenous newborn.

Seeing Acxa’s reaction and realizing she’s on the cusp of saying too much, Krolia switches topics. “Keith was a very active baby. He demanded attention when he was awake.”

_“Was he a happy baby?”_

“Hmm…not really happy or unhappy. I mean, he had his moments, and when he was happy he was very happy. But if I had to describe him, moody would be more like it.”

_“Oh, so, like he is now?”_

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

Over the next varga the two women talk about any topic that comes to mind. The session is therapeutic for both, and it’s the first time they just relaxed and talked to one another. They succeed in draining the giant wine bottle, and neither have any regrets.

As they finish their wine, both women grow silent and introspective. Krolia stares straight ahead then drains her glass, releasing a heavy sigh when she’s done.

_“Krolia…what’s wrong?”_

“It’s been just over three phoebs since we left the Paladins. I thought I would be past this by now. Sometimes, at night, I lay in bed and wonder what he’s doing.” She sets her glass down. “That’s the problem with wine. First it makes you happy, then it turns on you and makes you sad.”

Acxa sighs heavily herself and looks toward Krolia. _“I do the same thing…think about him before I lay down to sleep. He’s in my prayers every night. I miss him terribly. If I…when I see him again, I’m going to give him the tightest hug I possibly can.”_

Krolia turns and looks at her thoughtfully. “Would you kiss him again?”

_“What?”_

“Like you did after the fight against Macidus. Three times I believe?”

_“Oh…you saw that?”_ She blushes a bright purple and squirms uncomfortably, not really wanting to talk about it.

“Acxa, everyone saw it.”

“I don’t know. Probably not. I mean…not in front of…Yes, I would kiss him again. But, only if we were alone.”

**The Birthday in the Void**

It’s been just over three phoebs since the Paladins and their passengers separated from the Blades. The long journey is beginning to weigh on everyone, and Keith does his best to keep everyone’s spirits up. They stop on planets where they can to break the monotony, but they are now entering a part of space where planets are few and far between.

Completely out of his comfort zone, Keith reaches out to his team and does what he can to keep morale going. It’s an effort that’s not lost on Hunk. During one of their conversations, they were talking about their families. After Hunk mentioned how much he longs to see his family again, Keith let slip that he is also longing to see someone. At first Hunk thought it was Krolia, but then he realized there’s someone else on the Black Paladin’s mind. It came to him when they were talking about music. Keith mentioned to Hunk how Acxa used to constantly play music from his collection. The look in Keith’s eyes when he mentioned her name gave away the pain his separation from her was causing him.

He sees the introverted Keith worrying about everyone but himself. Knowing that’s Keith’s way, Hunk decides that if Keith won’t worry about Keith, the others in the party will.

“Hey, Keith. Would you send Cosmo over here to Yellow? I’ve got something for you.”

“What is it, Hunk?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll see.”

“Ok, let me see if he’s up to it.” Keith turns to look at his cosmic wolf. Before Keith can ask him the question, Cosmo teleports over to Yellow. “Well, I guess he’s up to it.”

Picking up the surprise from Hunk, Cosmo makes stops at Green, Blue, and Red before coming back to Black. Seeing the package wrapped up around Cosmo’s neck, Keith carefully unwraps it and grins broadly at what he sees. “Hunk…birthday cake? You didn’t have to do this…but thank you. This means a lot. I mean…how did you even know?”

“Hey buddy, it’s the least we can do. You worry about us all the time, you do your best to do things for us. It’s time we did a few things for you. As for how I knew about it…you can thank Pidge. She knows everything about everybody. Happy Birthday, Keith.”

As the team settles in to enjoy the unexpected treat, Allura reaches out to Keith. “So, Keith…I understand birthday traditions on Earth call for the giving of gifts to the birthday person. What would you like for your birthday?”

Keith is silent. There is something he desperately wants, but it’s beyond the reach of anyone in their party to grant it to him.

“Ah, Keith’s being bashful again. I can guess what he wants for his birthday, and her name begins with the letter A. Am I wrong, team leader?”

Pidge admonishes Lance to not tease him. “Lance, knock it off! You have no idea what he may be wishing for, and you’re not being helpful!”

“It’s ok, Pidge. If I’m honest, Lance nailed it. I’m missing her…very much.” The pain in Keith’s voice is obvious.

“Keith…it’s ok, man. You’re among friends here. I’m glad you have someone you’re looking forward to seeing again. It gives you something to cling to. It gives you hope.”

“Thanks, Hunk. I mean…I’ve never had a girlfriend before…before Acxa. I guess…there are qualifications for someone to be considered a girlfriend? Does she even meet those qualifications?”

Hunk just chuckles at his clueless friend. “Keith, you’re over thinking it. Let’s see. She’s a girl. That’s obviously the most important qualification. She’s your friend. Probably more than a friend considering the way the two of you were smooching before she left. Yeah, she’s your girlfriend.”

Keith blushes a very bright red. “Oh…you saw that?”

“Keith, we all saw it. Right, Pidge?”

“Right, Allura. And I for one think it’s awesome! The Black Paladin of Voltron, pining for his love so far away. It’s a nice thought!”

“Thanks, Pidge!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are...one year to the day since the release of VLD Season 8. One week later, on December 21, 2018, I began writing what would become the Galra Chronicles. The last year has been one long strange trip, but one that I wouldn't change. Well, that's a lie, some things I would change but writing the works in this series is not one of them.
> 
> Coming up in the next three chapters - The Blades continue to strike against the Fire of Purifications rear area and push them back towards the Solar system. Acxa continues her growth as a senior leader, and experiences a direct confrontation with Sendak as she makes her way towards Earth and eventual reunion with Keith.


	9. Strides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zethrid is suffering from PTSD. Our girls steal two Fire of Purification cruisers, liberate a planet, and get promoted to Senior Commander. Kolivan tells them the story of the founding of the Blade of Marmora and how he became Blademaster. Ezor and Zethrid reconcile (finally)! Keith and Pidge have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Lance gets stuck in the maintenance well of the Red Lion, much to Hunk's annoyance. Other than that, not a lot happens in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read Rejected by the Galra and/or the Seven Paladins, there are several lines in this chapter that foreshadow events in those two works. Hint...one of them involves Lotor (he's not in this work but he is referenced).

**PTSD**

Acxa staggers down the hallway towards her quarters. Her legs are dead after another one of Krolia’s grueling training sessions. She asked Krolia for a break in the training routine since the planned assault on Biscarion is only three vargas away, and she needs time to recover. Krolia smirked at the suggestion, but in the end relented.

Turning the corner and approaching her quarters, she sees Ezor waiting for her. Acxa notices that she is agitated.

“Hey, Acxa…do you have a minute to talk?”

Of the three Generals, Ezor is the energetic optimist of the group. Today that optimism is noticeably absent. She is not one to make a request to talk unless something is really bothering her.

_“Of course. Come in and tell me what’s on your mind.”_

Ezor enters Acxa’s quarters and immediately starts fidgeting, pacing, and wringing her hands. “I won’t take much time. I just need to run something past you. I don’t need you to solve anything, I just need someone to listen. You’re a good listener.”

“It’s about Zethrid.”

_“Ok…what about her?”_ Acxa’s level of concern rises. As a couple, Ezor and Zethrid have been struggling ever since their estrangement following their first fight against Acxa and Keith. Acxa was hopeful that things were improving since Zethrid’s return from Neteria. Looking at Ezor’s body language, she’s not so sure that’s the case.

“Well, you know it took almost a full phoeb for her to fully recover from the wounds she got on Neteria. She’s physically fine but…she’s changed. Something about her is different.”

_“Ezor, you saw the pictures from that concentration camp on Neteria. How horrible they were. Imagine seeing those images live, in real time. Not just the images, the stench that must have gone with them. Then to suffer the injuries she did. That would change anyone. So, what are you seeing from her?”_

“She’s withdrawn. I can barely get her to talk to me. The doctors said she’s most likely suffering from PTSD. I couldn’t believe it when they told me that. Zethrid’s always been so…strong. I didn’t think anything like this would bother her. But…I guess it is.”

_“What did the doctors tell you to do?”_

“Be patient with her. She may get over it on her own, or she may get over it with some help. Or…she may never get over it. Acxa, I’m such a fool. I’ve lost her.”

_“You’ve done no such thing. She loves you, and you love her. She’s struggling right now. Be patient with her. Let her know you’re there, but don’t push her. You know her better than I do, but every time I’ve ever pushed her on something, she dug her heels in and resisted. When she’s ready…she’ll turn to you.”_

“I guess so. Thanks, Acxa. It felt good to get that out.”

_“Ezor, you’re not alone. I worry about her, and I worry about you. Come talk to me any time.”_

**Liberation of Biscarion**

**Phase 1**

The Fire of Purification cruisers maintain stationary orbit above the command and manufacturing complexes over Biscarion. It’s been one phoeb since the fall of Wordaki, and in the intervening time the situation on Biscarion has grown dire. Although theoretically able to fend off the Blade of Marmora blockade, in practical terms the blockade is proving to be effective. No one wants to take a chance running supplies in to the base and risking confiscation of property by the Blade of Marmora, or worse. Nothing is getting in or out, and there are insufficient supplies to support the base for more than a phoeb. Repeated calls to Commander Sendak to send reinforcements have resulted in nothing more than a reprimand for their failure to destroy the Blade of Marmora and for the loss of four of their cruisers. Morale among the Fire of Purification troops on and above Biscarion are at an all-time low.

As nighttime settles in over the planet, and the cruisers find themselves above the dark side of the planet to maintain cover over the base, the cruiser crews slip into a state of lethargy.

Just as Krolia anticipated they would.

Unnoticed in the darkness by the crew of the lead cruiser, a small shuttle craft come alongside it. Using a technique honed to near-perfection, six Blade of Marmora soldiers slip onto the ship, led by Ezor. Three members of the team make their way to the Bridge, while Ezor and two others head to the Engine Room.

The Engine Room team makes their way noiselessly down several corridors, reaching a point just outside its entrance. While two members of the team take cover and wait for the signal to move, Ezor cloaks herself and slips into the Engine Room.

The Engine Room crew consists of ten Galra soldiers and an equal number of security droids. Working her way to a position near the master control stations in the Engine Room, Ezor gives the signal to attack to her team.

One team member opens fire on the two security droids guarding the entrance to the Engine Room, while the other hurls two gas canisters into the room. As confusion swirls around them, the crew members at the control panel are rapidly incapacitated by Ezor. With the control panels now in her possession, she first shuts down the command protocols controlling the sentry droids throughout the ship. With the droids disabled and the rest of the Engine Room crew unconscious from the gas, she then drops all the airtight bulkhead doors, effectively sealing the ship off into many smaller compartments. Her final actions are to lock out control access to the ship from the Bridge and shut down all internal and external communication systems.

Seeing the sentry droids go offline and the bulkhead doors drop, the Bridge assault team led by newly promoted Sergeant Himaya springs into action. Shooting in rapid fire fashion, they quickly subdue and secure the bridge crew. Now in control of the Bridge, Himaya sends a signal to Ezor and gets an immediate response.

“Status Report.”

“The Bridge is secure, Commander.”

“Understood. The Engine Room is secure. Restoring control access to the Bridge. Determine the location of the remaining Galra soldiers. We’re going to reprogram the security droids. Once that’s done we’ll lock the crew in the brig.”

Ezor then flips to her secondary command channel and calls over to Fromak. “Master Chief, what’s your status?”

There is a long pause that begins to concern her, until the voice of Fromak comes across the channel. “Fromak here. The cruiser is secure. Bridge and Engine room in our possession.”

“Roger. Status of your team?”

“We’re fine. Riana got a little trigger happy and shot up the Engine Room, but it’s nothing we can’t quickly fix. We’ve calmed her down now.”

Ezor chuckles to herself as Corporal Himaya, who was monitoring the conversation, gives her opinion. “And why am I not surprised it was my little sister who went off the deep end?”

As Himaya reboots the Bridge control systems she can’t help but give voice to something that is puzzling to her. “Commander, I’m a little confused. You would think that after we’ve captured two of their cruisers, the Fire of Purification would have figured out how we were doing it and taken steps to keep us from doing the same thing to the other two."

Fromak, who is rebooting the Bridge systems on the other cruiser, has a simple answer. “Let’s be thankful the Fire of Purification command here is as thick as a cruiser bulkhead.”

With both ships firmly in the hands of the Blade of Marmora, Ezor initiates the next phase of the operation. “Ok, I’m going to call in to command. Fromak, Himaya, prepare to receive our replacement crews.”

“Roger standing by.”

Ezor calls in to Krolia to report status. “Senior Commander. We are in full control of both cruisers. No outbound communications detected. I don’t believe the bases know they don’t own these ships anymore.”

“Perfect. Well done, Ezor, you and your team. Your Blade of Marmora crews and our other three cruisers are inbound. They should be there within twenty doboshes.”

“We’ll have the security droids reprogrammed by then. I’ll advise you when we’re ready to proceed with the next phase of the attack.”

Her conversation with Ezor complete, Krolia opens her command link to Acxa and Zethrid. “Acxa, Zethrid. Phase 1 is nearing completion. Execute Phase 2 then hold for my mark.”

So far, the plan Acxa and Meltok developed is working to perfection.

**Phase 2**

With the cruisers now in friendly hands, the troop transports move silently past them and head for their drop zones on the planet. Acxa, Meltok, and a force of 150 Blade of Marmora soldiers land in a desolate location ten kilometers away from the Biscarion command complex.

At the same time, Zethrid and P’tal take their force of 150 Blade of Marmora soldiers and touch down twelve kilometers away from the manufacturing complex.

Now safely on the surface and to Acxa’s surprise still undetected, both groups begin a road march under cover of darkness to their assault positions. Reaching their positions two vargas later, they hunker down and maintain radio silence.

While Acxa and Zethrid scan their targets, Meltok and P’tal go up and down the ranks of their respective groups to check on the status of their soldiers. When asked by Bars how things are going, Meltok smiles and pats him on the shoulder. “All is well. Make sure your soldiers are ready to go. For now, it’s hurry up and wait.”

**Phase 3**

Receiving confirmation from Ezor that the cruiser force is ready for combat, Krolia opens the command channel and speaks to all three of her subordinate commanders.

“Listen up. You’ve all worked hard to get us here. Now let’s finish this. Acxa, Zethrid, stick to the plan. You’ll know when to move out. Ezor…deploy your cruisers.”

Ezor splits her cruiser force, sending three to attack the command center complex, and two to attack the manufacturing complex.

Before the Fire of Purification forces on the ground realize what is happening, they are subjected to an intense bombardment. The initial targets of the attack are the particle barrier generators, and the cruisers successfully take them all down.

Each of Ezor’s cruisers hold two fighter wings, all of them captured during the liberation of Wordaki and the capture of the four Fire of Purification cruisers. Keeping two fighter wings in reserve and for defense of her cruisers, Ezor hurls three fighter wings at each of the targets.

While the fighters are inbound, the cruisers shift their fire to the outer defenses of the command center and manufacturing facility. Under a withering bombardment, defensive walls and positions are destroyed.

As the bombardment lifts, the fighter wings streak in. Their priority targets are any remaining Fire of Purification defenders blocking entrance by the ground troops into their objectives. Despite heavy ground fire, opposition is soon neutralized. The fighters now transition into a close air support role and look for targets of opportunity.

The appearance of the fighters is the visual clue Acxa and Zethrid need to launch their attacks.

Under the cover of the protective fighter screen, Zethrid’s troops storm the manufacturing complex. They meet only light token resistance until they get to the central manufacturing complex. The complex is defended solely by security droids, and that is what Zethrid expected. She’s prepared a special surprise for them.

“Fire the chaff. Move in with the emitters once they freeze up.”

Ten Blades rush forward under covering fire from their comrades-in-arms and assume positions in advance of their teams. Using specially designed launch tubes, they fire three rounds of chaff in the direction of the sentry droids. The chaff, shredded aluminum strips, does not completely disable the sentry droids but it does confuse their sensors ability to recognize targets more than ten feet in front of them. At a closer range they are still effective defenders, so the Blades maintain their distance.

With the droids frozen in place due to their inability to locate a target, ten more Blades move forward and launch electromagnetic pulse (EMT) emitters. Set to go off above the sentry droids, the emitters short-circuit any electronic components within one hundred feet. As the sentry droids drop to the ground, their electronic brains fried to cinders, the battle for the manufacturing complex comes to an end.

Things are not quite as simple at the command complex. Acxa is facing all of the remaining live Galra on Biscarion, 350 soldiers in all, backed up by another 200 sentry droids. The sentry droids are deployed as the first line of defense, in the hope that they can thin out the attackers for the live Galra behind them.

Meltok does not like the odds and let’s Acxa know about it. “Commander, I didn’t realize they had this many troops and droids here. They’ve got us outnumbered three-to-one. It would be suicide to go in there against those numbers.”

Acxa is not concerned. _“We’re not going in against those numbers. Let’s even the odds out a bit Master Chief.”_ Showing a coolness under fire that’s always been her strength, she calls Ezor for support.

_“Ezor. I need you to deploy the emitters over the control center.”_

“I can do that, but you do realize…”

The firm conviction in Acxa’s voice resonates over the airwaves. _“I need every electronic circuit they have in this complex fried to a crisp. Got it?”_

“Got it. Make sure your weapons shielding is on. Don’t want to fry the weapons of our own troops.”

Completely in control of the situation, Acxa issues her final assault order. _“Master Chief make sure the Blades are ready to move. I want all hell to break loose once those droids drop.”_

Taking aim at the center of the command complex, Ezor initiates a massive electromagnetic pulse that immediately drops all sentry droids to the ground and shuts down all Fire of Purification command and control systems.

Acxa sprints forward, exhorting the other Blades to follow her. Seeing the charging blue wave coming at them, the Fire of Purification lines break, and the soldiers run backwards in a disorganized retreat.

A small band of fifty zealots make a last stand just outside the main control building. Acxa calls her troops to a halt and pulls them back to a safe distance. _“Master Chief, close air support!”_

Meltok calls in the request, and in a matter of doboshes four fighters streak in and make short work of the final defensive position. The command center falls, and with it falls Biscarion.

The planet secured, Krolia calls Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor and their Master Chiefs to join her at the ruins of the command complex. Krolia surveys the destruction and shakes her head as Acxa approaches.

“Acxa, I know I told you to smash all resistance, but…you could have at least left SOMETHING standing!”

Saluting her commanding officer, she responds with a gleam in her eye. _“I had to look out for my troops.”_

With everyone assembled, Krolia beams at her three commanders. “Look at the three of you. Look how far you’ve come. From outcasts and pariahs to respected and feared commanders in the Blade of Marmora in just four phoebs. You’ve proven yourselves in combat and earned the trust of your fellow Blades. You’ve listened to your Master Chiefs and trained hard. I’m proud of all three of you. And so is Kolivan.”

“Biscarion is liberated, and we’re turning administration of the planet over to indigenous planetary authorities. We’ll leave a small force here to assist them, but there are no other Fire of Purification forces in this area to threaten this planet.”

“Kolivan is recalling all of you back to base.”

_“Recalling us? Why? I thought we would be moving against the Fire of Purification in the Solar System. Why are we delaying?”_

“You’ll find out soon enough, Acxa. Bring your Master Chiefs with you and keep them close. You’re going to need them.”

Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor look at each other, very puzzled. The Master Chiefs also exchange glances, but they are more of a ‘cat that ate the canary’ type of look. They know full well the reason behind their commanders recall.

And they intend to enjoy every minute, watching their reactions.

**Ritual of the Sash**

Acxa is struck by the number of Blades present at the Blade of Marmora base. It seems to be bursting at the seams with Blades.

Seeing her puzzled look, Krolia tells her what happened. “You three aren’t the only ones Kolivan recalled. He’s pulled all of the Blades back to base.”

_“Why?”_

Krolia knows her lack of candor is frustrating Acxa, but she’s under orders to say as little about the upcoming ceremony as possible. “You keep asking why, Acxa. Don’t you trust me?”

_“That’s not it and you know it! I keep asking why because you refuse to tell me why we were recalled!”_

“You’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, go to your quarters. You’ll find your dress Blade uniforms waiting for you. Put them on. If you have any questions about them, ask your Master Chiefs.”

_“Dress uniforms? We have to wear dresses?”_

“What…uh…no…Acxa, good grief!” The naivete of Acxa is sometimes endearing, and at other times gives Krolia a pounding headache. On this occasion, it’s more the latter. “These are formal uniforms that are only worn for ceremonial occasions. Occasions where one ‘dresses up’! If you haven’t figured it out, you’re going to be attending a ceremony. That’s why Kolivan recalled everyone.”

_“Finally, a reason for us being here! What kind of ceremony?”_

“You will find out soon enough! That’s the last time I’m going to tell you! Now, go to your quarters. You have two vargas. I’ll meet you here and we’ll go to the ceremony together.”

The ceremonial uniform for a Blade of Marmora Commander consists of a long dark blue knee-length coat with silver piping. The trousers (Acxa was very relieved to see she really didn’t have to wear a dress) are dark blue with a silver stripe. Black highly polished boots complete the ensemble. Acxa notices that the jacket has a large loop attached to the top of the right shoulder. Thinking she is either missing a piece of the uniform or put something on wrong, she asks Meltok to come in and give her a quick uniform inspection.

“The uniform looks fine Commander. Everything is where it should be.”

_“But what about this loop. Why is this here?”_

“Well…the explanation for that loop is tied to the reason why we all got recalled.”

_“I don’t understand.”_

“When you see Krolia, look at her uniform.” Knowing that he’s said too much, he changes the subject. “It’s time to go. My mission is to get you to your meeting point with the Senior Commander. So, if you’re ready…”

Completely confused, Acxa follows Meltok and they eventually meet up with Ezor, Zethrid, P’tal, and Fromak.

Zethrid is very frustrated with all the secrecy. “Does anyone have any idea what’s going on? P’tal is talking in riddles.”

Ezor is just as frustrated with her Master Chief “Same with Fromak. I’m ready to take her tendril and strangle her with it!”

From behind them comes the voice of a bemused Krolia, giving Ezor a mild rebuke. “I’m sure there are times when Fromak wants to do that to you, Ezor.” Stepping in front of each of them, she conducts a quick uniform inspection. As she does so, Acxa studies Krolia’s uniform and is immediately struck by one specific item. It is a sash, that drapes down from her right shoulder. A silver stripe runs the length of the sash, and at the top of the stripe is a triangle, the point of which points inward.

_“Krolia…your sash…what does it signify?”_

Krolia lifts the veil of secrecy and tells them why they were recalled. “It signifies my rank. One triangle for Senior Commander. Kolivan’s sash has two triangles that signify him as Blademaster. Listen up you three. I apologize for the secrecy, but Kolivan and I wanted this to be a surprise. We are about to march into the great hall to participate in a ceremony that dates back 2,000 decaphoebs. The entire body of the Blade of Marmora is here, and you three are the guests of honor. Welcome to the Ritual of the Sash.”

“You will fall in behind me single file in this order. Acxa, Meltok, Ezor, Fromak, Zethrid, P’tal. When I stop to give the command to fall in, Acxa you and Meltok will move to my right, Ezor, you and Fromak will move in front of me, Zethrid, you and P’tal will move to my left. The Master Chiefs know the ceremony and know what to do. The three of you just follow my lead and do as you are instructed.”

“Acxa, you want to know what that loop on your uniform jacket is for? It’s for the sash that Meltok is holding for you. Ezor, Zethrid, same goes for you except your Master Chiefs are carrying your sashes.”

_“Wait…does that mean we’re going to be…”_ A wide-eyed Acxa is cut off mid-sentence as Krolia barks an order.

“FALL IN!”

As they approach the doors to the great hall, they are opened by the Sergeant-at-Arms. Waiting inside is the entire body of the Blade of Marmora. The sound of the assembled Blades snapping to attention ripples through the hall as Krolia and her team march down the central walkway. Waiting for them on the dais at the end of the walkway is Kolivan.

Stopping in front of the dais, Krolia executes a smart about-face and issues instructions. On the command to fall in, Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid take their places. Out of the corners of their eyes they notice that Meltok, Fromak, and P’tal take positions directly behind them. Her charges in their places, Krolia takes her place at Kolivan’s right.

The Blademaster barks a command to his Blades. “Stand at ease!” Pausing for a moment to allow those assembled to settle, Kolivan begins his address. “Fellow Blades. It has been said that forgiveness is a blessing passed on to us by others, and redemption is an honor we strive to earn by traveling a difficult path to make amends for our past transgressions. We are gathered here today to recognize and honor three of our own who earned our forgiveness and walked the difficult path that led to their redemption. Three who in the short span of four phoebs have distinguished themselves as honorable members of the Blade of Marmora and as trusted leaders.”

“Blades, Attention! Adjutant, publish the orders.”

The Adjutant of the Blade of Marmora steps forward to read the orders that initiate the Ritual of the Sash. “Attention to orders! The following members of the Blade of Marmora, having distinguished themselves in the Neteria, Wordaki, and Biscarion campaigns through their unwavering leadership and unselfish acts; and who placed themselves in harm’s way to protect the defenseless, are hereby promoted to the rank of Senior Commander in the Blade of Marmora.”

“Acxa Combari. Step forward and prepare to receive the Ritual of the Sash.”

As Acxa’s name is called, Master Chief Meltok steps forward and hands Krolia a sash, identical to the one she is wearing. He and Krolia drape the sash over her uniform jacket, tucking it under the loop that so puzzled her earlier. With the sash in place, Meltok and Krolia step back as Kolivan steps forward. He grasps the sash, hands approximately 3 feet apart, and snaps it.

“Congratulations, Senior Commander Combari. You earned it.” He steps back to join Krolia and Meltok, and the three of them salute her. A shocked and very humbled Acxa returns their salute. As he takes his place behind her, Meltok leans forward and whispers, “Congratulations, Acxa!”

The Adjutant now reads the next name. “Ezor Corderian. Step forward and prepare to receive the Ritual of the Sash.”

Fromak steps forward with Ezor’s sash, and the promotion ritual is repeated. As Fromak takes her place behind her newly promoted Senior Commander, she whispers “Remember, don’t get cocky.” The comment brings a smile to Ezor’s face.

The third name is called out by the Adjutant. “Zethrid Katorsis. Step forward and prepare to receive the Ritual of the Sash.”

This time it is P’tal’s turn to come forward with a sash. Taking her place after the Ritual of the Sash is completed, she whispers in passing, “Your father would be proud of you.”

Kolivan steps back up on the dais and addresses his new Senior Commanders. “Acxa. Ezor. Zethrid. You have earned the rank you now hold. Understand that as Senior Commanders you are marked by the highest expectations of professionalism and leadership. Those you meet will expect nothing less from you. These are expectations you are already meeting, or you would not hold the rank you presently do. Much will be asked of you in the coming phoebs and decaphoebs. Your paths will be harder and the challenges and obstacles more treacherous than any you’ve experienced before. But know this. You are backed by every member of the Blade of Marmora. You are not alone.”

“Your duty assignments will be given to you within the next quintant. But now, we celebrate your accomplishments.” Turning to the assembled Blades, Kolivan closes the ceremony. “Brothers and Sisters of the Blade of Marmora. Four phoebs ago we welcomed Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid into our order. We celebrated with them at that time. Let us celebrate with them now.”

“Blades of Marmora. You are dismissed!”

The assembled Blades cry out as one voice. “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”

**The First Blademaster**

One varga following the promotion ceremony, Kolivan and Krolia host a small working reception for their new Senior Commanders and their Master Chiefs. It is an opportunity for them all to step out of their normal roles as Blades of Marmora and interact with each other as regular people. Everyone is struck by the difference in Kolivan’s attitude and tone. Gone for the moment is the strict disciplinarian, the tough no-nonsense Blademaster. In his place is a more relaxed, albeit still socially awkward Kolivan.

For Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor it is a chance for them to reflect on the journey the last decaphoeb of their lives has taken them. One decaphoeb ago, Ezor and Zethrid were Acxa’s enemies. Acxa was on her own, alone. The Paladins had not yet reappeared. Now, they are Senior Commanders in the Blade of Marmora, Ezor and Zethrid are carefully working their way through reconcilement, and Acxa…is no longer alone in the universe.

During a conversation with Kolivan, Acxa asks him how he became the leader of the Blade of Marmora. The question immediately catches Krolia’s attention. “I’ve never heard this story before. Would you mind telling us, Kolivan?”

“Well, if you like boring stories told by a boring person, I’m willing to share it.” Everyone gathers around their Blademaster and listens with eager anticipation.

“For the sake of our new Senior Commanders, allow me to start with a short history lesson. The Blade of Marmora was founded over 2,000 decaphoebs ago by Marmora Delmarka. He was an excellent swordsman, a General in the armed forces of the Galra Empire. He collected swords and knives of all types and metallic composition. There was one special blade in his possession, a long dagger made of a rare material called Luxite.”

“Luxite has interesting properties…some even say it’s a living metal. It can bond with the life force of anyone that has Galra blood in their veins, but it is also picky about which life forces it bonds with. People with Galran blood who possess certain personality traits…selflessness, compassion, empathy for others among them…can bond with it. Those who are destructively ruthless, those with evil tendencies cannot. But to bond with the Luxite, one must first go through a series of significant emotional events. It is these events that reveal the true nature of the person wielding the blade. If the person possesses the bonding traits, the Luxite bonds with their life force. This gives the chosen person the ability to shape their blade into a sword."

"Marmora discovered this during one of the campaigns he fought in. A village sat on the edge of a battlefield. The villagers were trapped in the village and all were in danger of becoming collateral damage during the fighting. Marmora risked his own life and endured unimaginable hardships to save the villagers. These hardships included fighting off raiders with the only weapon he had in his possession at the time…his Luxite blade. During these hardships he bonded with his blade and shaped it into the form of a Kaitana sword. The story goes that Marmora, fighting by himself, took down one hundred raiders with that sword. He was the first person to unlock such properties in Luxite.”

"The shape his sword took is a rare one, and up until recently we’d not seen one manifest in that shape for many decaphoebs. At this time there are only three Kaitana swords within the Blade of Marmora. Mine. Krolia’s which she shares with Keith. And yours, Acxa.”

_“I’m not sure I understand why that’s so significant, Kolivan.”_

“Throughout the history of the Blade of Marmora, the shape of every Blademaster’s sword is that of a Kaitana. Others who possess Kaitana swords, who have not taken on the role of Blademaster, have gone on to do great things. Keith for example can wield his mothers’ sword, which is the first time that’s ever been observed. The blood bond between mother and son is strong, and when Keith successfully completed his Trials of Marmora, the blade bonded with his life force and took on the Kaitana form. Keith is the Black Paladin, the leader of Voltron. Krolia’s record of leadership speaks for itself. So, the outstanding question I have for you Acxa is this…what will your legacy of leadership be?”

Everyone turns to look at a now very self-conscious and wide-eyed Acxa. All she can do is bite her lip and shrug her shoulders.

“Unlike most of the Generals in Zarkon’s service, Marmora had a conscience. And he did not like what Zarkon was doing not only to the indigenous populations of the planets conquered by the Empire, but to those Galrans considered by Zarkon to be subversive. Marmora was personally reprimanded by Zarkon for interfering in his battle plans and rescuing the villagers. It was the catalyst that led him to realize he needed to take a different path.”

“Marmora slowly began to identify and gather together others of a like mind. He created the ceremony we know today as the Trials of Marmora, to ensure that those he chose were truly of a like mind and would do whatever was necessary to begin the slow process of righting the wrongs being inflicted on those in the Galra Empire, and those outside the Empire who fell victim to it.”

“Marmora and his followers began their guerilla campaign against the Empire. They knew it would be a long, uphill struggle. But that did not deter them. They slowly built up the Blade of Marmora, establishing cells throughout the Empire that, while bonded together by a common philosophy under one Blademaster, operated independently. And that’s how we functioned for 2,000 decaphoebs. I am the tenth Blademaster for the Blade of Marmora.”

“Now, to answer your original question, Acxa. How did I become Blademaster? It happened when the ninth Blademaster fell in battle.”

“I had been with the Blades for fifty decaphoebs and had achieved the rank of Senior Commander. I served loyally as one of the ninth Blademaster’s senior leaders. She was an excellent mentor. Her criticisms were harsh, but never unfair. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was in charge, yet it was also clear to everyone that she valued the opinions and input of her subordinate leaders. She would use that information to make her decisions, and she was very quick to give credit where it was due. She was humble in her own way and did not feel the need to draw attention to herself. She gained great satisfaction seeing the light of those she mentored shine through. That was a lesson I took to heart and I do my best to follow through on that every day.”

“We were involved in a battle in the Puigian system with an element of Zarkon’s main fleet. It’s a fight we should have avoided, but at the time we felt we needed to make a stand. During the battle, the Blademaster’s ship was hit and crashed onto Puig. We didn’t want her to fall into Zarkon’s hands…I didn’t want to think about what he’d do to her if she did…so I took my shuttle in and we retrieved her and her party before making our escape into the Puigian Asteroid Belt.”

“Her Chief of Staff, who was next in line to succeed her, was killed in the crash. The Blademaster knew that she herself was dying. I was the senior surviving member of the Blades. With other Blade leaders present, she made me the new Blademaster before she died. The others agreed with her choice. And…here I am. One hundred and fifty decaphoebs later.”

Krolia speaks up and embellishes the story her personal mentor just told. “I’d like to add on to Kolivan’s story. He made many changes that turned us into a more effective fighting force. Those changes allowed us to survive Macidus’ massacre of thousands of Blades.”

Not comfortable socially outside his Blademaster role, Kolivan slips back into it and gets down to business. “And speaking of changes…I have a few more that need to be made. Now that we have the Senior Commanders to carry them out.”

“All of you, come with me.”

**Order of Battle**

“What kind of changes, Kolivan?”

“I am reorganizing the Blades Krolia, effective immediately. Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, listen up.”

Kolivan pulls up a hologram of a star system. “Acxa, you will be assigned to set up forward operations here, in the Alpha Centauri system. It is the star system closest to the Solar System. Your mission will be to monitor the Fire of Purification from a distance, interdict their rear areas, and watch for Voltron. You will be aided by Coalition cells under the leadership of Matt Holt. I believe you know Matt?"

Acxa’s eyes brighten at the mention of his name. “_Yes, I do. Very well. I served as a member of his Coalition group for two decaphoebs. His sister, Pidge, is the Green Paladin of Voltron. But, I thought the Coalition cells had been decimated.”_

“They were, but they’ve been rebuilt. Apparently young Mr. Holt is a very persuasive recruiter.”

Acxa smiles at the memory of her time with the Rebels. _“He definitely is that.”_

“You will take the four captured heavy cruisers and their fighter wings, as well as the fighter wings captured on Wordaki with you. You will be the closest to the Fire of Purification and I want you to have the means to protect yourself. I want to emphasize that your forces are for defense. Despite being the largest Blade of Marmora force ever deployed, you do not have the firepower to take on the Fire of Purification in direct combat. You must watch what they are doing, listen in to their conversations, and report your findings back to Krolia. Is that clear?”

_“Clear, Blademaster.”_

“The other part of your mission is to watch for and do your best to intercept Voltron. We must try to keep them from falling into Sendak’s trap. As the commander in the field you have the latitude to deploy your forces as you see fit to do just that.”

“Ezor and Zethrid, you will each be assigned sectors of your own, with the mission of keeping an eye on a resurgent Galra Empire. And if you happen to hijack a few cruisers along the way, that would be a good thing. These sectors are contiguous, but I will tell you that you’ll be operating apart for some time. So, I recommend to you…I recommend to all of you that you take some time to get your affairs in order.”

“You will leave for your commands in three quintants. You may not see each other for some time. Now would be a good time for the three of you to get together one last time before departing.”

Ezor turns to Acxa and winks. “Come to our quarters in a varga.”

As the group breaks up and heads their separate ways, Acxa lingers behind. When everyone except Krolia and Kolivan have left, she steps forward.

_“Blademaster, may I have a moment?”_

“Of course, Acxa. How may I help you.”

_“I want to thank you again, for your faith in me. And I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to keep a promise I made. A promise to…someone very important to me.”_

“Acxa, let me be clear on two points. One, my faith and my trust in you is not something I gave you. You earned it through your actions. Don’t forget that. At the same time don’t forget what I told you about emotional attachments. Keep a clear head at all times. What I’ve done is put you and your command in the path of a clear and present danger. Because I trust you, and I have faith in your abilities. Do not let that excellent decision-making ability we witnessed on Biscarion and Wordaki be clouded by your feelings for Keith. Bad things will happen if you don’t control your emotions. Clear?”

_“Clear, Blademaster. Thank you.”_

**Friends**

The three old friends, now Blade Senior Commanders, gather together before departing to take command of their respective sectors. Enjoying the Mosellian wine Krolia procured for them, they sit and reminisce. Seeing her friends attack the wine, Acxa has a word of advice for them.

_“You might want to go easy on that. If you drink too much, you’ll wind up with a splitting headache and generally feel horrible most of the next day.”_

Ezor gives her a quick wink. “Voice of experience, Acxa?”

Making it a point to set her glass down, she says, _“Voice of experience, Ezor.”_

“Hey, here’s a question for you. Have any of you ever thought about what you would say to Lotor if you ran into him again out in space?”

Zethrid shoots her a very confused look and says, “No. Why would I bother thinking about that?”

“What about you, Acxa? You were the closest to him. What would you say to him if you ever met him again?”

_“Before or after I punch the bastard across the room?”_ Acxa does not laugh and does not find the question funny at all.

“Oh, come on Acxa, lighten up! You’re going out to the Earth sector. Where you want to be, waiting for your boyfriend to show up. Be happy for once.”

Acxa exhales deeply. _“Happy…right. Now you sound like Krolia.”_

Sensing that Acxa is about to slip into one of her quiet reflective moods, Zethrid tries to cheer her up. “Come on, Acxa. What are you going to do when you see him again?”

Ezor however wants to playfully tease her. “Or maybe the better question is, what do you want Keith to do to you when you see him again?”

“Really Ezor? Really?” Zethrid shoots Ezor a look, while the tone in her voice carries a veiled warning to knock it off.

Acxa picks up her nearly full glass of wine and drains it in two gulps. Realizing she pushed Acxa just a bit too far with the teasing, Ezor backs off. “Ok, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll rephrase the question. What do you want to hear him say to you? What if he tells you he loves you?”

Acxa sets her glass down and stares straight ahead. _“To be honest…I’m not sure I’m ready to hear him say that. Not yet anyway. I…wouldn’t know what to say or do.”_

“Hey, it’s ok. I get it. But, don’t you love him? I mean from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard you say it sure sounds like you do.”

_“It’s not that, Zethrid…I…this whole thing…Keith calls it having a significant other…it’s all new to me. I don’t have a clue about what love is, or what it feels like. I’ve never had a boyfriend before, and I’m not really sure I can call Keith one.”_

“Well, let’s think about this logically. He’s a boy. Probably a very BIG boy, if you know what I mean.”

_“EZOR, STOP!”_

“He’s your friend.”

“Actually, Zethrid he’s probably more than a friend considering how she sucked his lips off before we left the Paladins.”

A very embarrassed Acxa blushes a bright purple. _“Oh…you saw that?”_

Zethrid pats her on the shoulder. “Acxa, everyone saw that…except maybe Kolivan.”

Feeling just a bit uncomfortable, Acxa stands to leave. “I should go. I have a lot to do before tomorrow and…” pointing to the wine bottle, “…if I have any more of that I’ll live to regret it.”

**Confession**

Alone in their room, Ezor puts her glass down and turns to Zethrid, looking as serious as she has in phoebs.

“Zethrid…we need to talk. There’s something I’ve wanted to say to you ever since you got back from Neteria. The right time never seemed to come around, and I’m not sure this is exactly the right time. But I need to say this before we leave on our next missions.”

“I should have been more supportive of you, after you came out of the healing pod on the Black Lion. Certainly, after we joined the Blades. I can’t give you an reason why I did what I did that makes any sense. I wanted you to know how much you hurt me. I wanted you to feel the pain that I felt. I realized now that was wrong. It didn’t erase what happened, it didn’t make me feel better about it. All I did was hurt you. And that was the wrong thing for me to do.”

“We talked about forgiveness before the Neteria mission. We talked about how powerful forgiveness is. Zethrid, I forgive you for what happened. But more importantly, I’m praying you can forgive me for what I did to you.”

Zethrid sits close to Ezor and takes her hand. “Ezor, I’m glad you said what you just said. I know that wasn’t easy. That took a lot of courage. Thank you. I do forgive you, and I am glad you forgive me. My feelings for you haven’t changed, and to be honest I feel like I can breathe a bit better. Some weight has been lifted off my chest.”

She pauses and looks down at the floor. Ezor can sense something else is bothering her. “Some weight has been lifted off your chest…that means something is still bothering you. What is it?”

“My experience on Neteria…what I saw on Neteria…is still haunting me. The looks on the faces of the children who were suffering in that camp. The sights and the smells of the camp. It was like the orphanage on Corillia, only ten times worse. Then nearly being killed. It’s all…it’s all just too much to handle sometimes. I know I need to handle it, I’m trying to handle it. But it’s hard…and I don’t know what to do. Please, be patient with me. I believe I can work it out, I just need time to figure it out.”

Ezor grips her hand hard, pulls it to her lips and kisses it. “I think we need to be patient with each other. Perhaps…the time away from each other may help. It may help us realize just how important we are to one another. Give us time to think about the future. What we’ll do, hopefully together, once the war is over. Who knows? A family, maybe? Adopt some orphans?”

Zethrid smiles. “Maybe we could take over that orphanage on Corillia. Show the orphans there what love really is.”

“You don’t believe in doing anything small, do you Zethrid. Whatever we decide for the future…I hope it’s a future with both of us.”

“It will be, Ez. That much I know!”

**Black and Green**

Four phoebs have passed since the battle with Macidus, and the Paladins are barely at the halfway point of their expected 1.5 earth years journey home. The long voyage is taking a toll, not only on the Paladins, but on the Lions as well. Realizing the team needs a break in routine, Keith orders a stop on a large meteoroid to allow them the chance to stretch their legs, and to give them an opportunity to check on the maintenance status of the Lions.

As maintenance activities commence, Keith makes the rounds of all the Lions, checking in with the Paladins and their passengers. As he approaches the Green Lion, he notices something that causes him to stop and linger. Watching Pidge’s body language, and the difficulties she is having with basic maintenance, he can tell something is bothering her. It’s not like her to have the kind of issues she’s having with basic tasks, so he stops by and asks her what’s wrong.

Pidge takes full advantage of the opportunity to unload her frustrations. They’ve been building for some time and she’s about to explode unless she gets them off her chest. Keith gives her the opportunity to do just that.

“I’m missing my brother. Matt. I’ve been thinking about the conversation I had with Acxa about him. After you told me that she served as a member of his rebel band for two decaphoebs.”

“Acxa told me you two had that conversation. She also told me that it was a long one. I guess it takes time to talk about two decaphoebs worth of experiences.”

“Yeah. I kept asking her questions which made the conversation longer than she probably wanted it to be. She told me how they met, how they saved each other’s lives when they went out on their first mission together. How they fought together for two decaphoebs. The way she described him, it made me feel like he was alive and here with me. She made him seem so real.”

“Acxa’s a good storyteller. She’ll never admit that, she thinks she’s bad at it, but she’s really very good. I’m glad you two had that conversation. I know that she respects Matt, both as a comrade-in-arms and as a friend. And that’s high praise from her. She’s slow to trust and even slower to make friends.”

“I’m missing my family, Keith. I miss Mom, I miss Dad, I miss Matt. I haven’t seen Mom since we left Earth, and I know she’s going to kill me for running off and leaving everyone. I don’t think I’m going to make it home with my sanity intact. But you…you seem to be holding it together ok. How are you managing it? The loneliness? I mean, your family…Krolia…she’s out in space somewhere with Acxa. It must be killing you not knowing how they are doing. How are you coping with all of that?”

“I cling to the hope that I’ll see Krolia and Acxa again. I must do that. Otherwise I will go insane. Besides, something Acxa and I shared is keeping me focused.”

Pidge brightens up and gets a twinkle in her eye. “Oh yeah? Special memories, huh? Anything juicy or spicy?”

“What…no, Pidge! It’s not what you’re thinking. Acxa’s not that type of woman to just…no we didn’t…” Seeing Pidge’s smile and hearing her chuckle flusters and already flustered Keith. “…get your mind out of the gutter, we’re not having this conversation!"

Pidge realizes she pushed the joke a bit too far. “Sorry, Keith, I didn’t mean to pull a Lance on you like that. What kind of memories do you two share? The ones that you don’t mind talking about.”

“No worries, Pidge. What we share are memories of our time together on the Black Lion. It’s the first opportunity we had to be alone and talk, and…it was special. What kind of memories? Conversations we had that let us get to know one another. Small silly things we did in the time we had together. They’re all important to me.”

“One day we made pancakes together for breakfast. Acxa got flour on her nose and cheeks and wound up wearing a lot of pancake batter. And we laughed about it. She looked…amazing.”

“She had pancake flour on her nose and cheeks, and you thought she looked amazing?”

“I did. I told her that too. She let me take a washcloth and clean her face. There was another time, when she was telling me about her decaphoebs with the Coalition, that she smacked me good in the back of the head with a seat cushion.”

“Why would she do that? Did you say something to make her mad?”

Now it’s Keith’s turn to wear a sly smile. “Oh, I might have called her half-loopy…in a joking way of course.”

Pidge is horrified. “Keith, given that Acxa takes almost everything literally, you are lucky she didn’t kill you!”

“Hmm, you may be right on that. Anyway, there was another conversation where we talked about our time as kids, growing up, before we lost our parents. We talked about all the stupid stuff we did. We agreed that we were both lucky that we made it to adulthood.”

“I think about Acxa every quintant. I try to visualize what she would say to me, how she would encourage me to stay strong. To be honest Pidge, we got to the point where we were encouraging each other. She was…no, she is bluntly honest. I like that about her. She says what’s on her mind. I don’t have to guess how she’s feeling about something. She’ll tell me, whether it’s with her words or her body language. I grew to rely on and value her opinion.”

“So, let me ask you, Pidge…what would Matt tell you right now?”

Pidge thinks for a moment. “He’d tell me to keep my head up and not to feel sorry for myself. Then he’d try to say something really serious, like I’m still alive, and where there’s life, there’s hope, and open himself up to one of my puns.”

“Yeah…your puns are something else. Look Pidge, I know, I know I’m not the most outgoing person in our group. Hunk and Allura are a lot better at comforting people than I am. But if you ever want to talk, call me on the private channel. You’ve always got my ear.”

“Thanks, Keith. I really appreciate that. Same goes for you. If you ever need to talk, let me know. You know, in case Lance does something dumb and you’re ready to explode.”

Both laugh over her joke. “In that case Pidge, I’ll be calling you every three vargas.”

“Seriously Keith, let me know. Command is lonely. You worry about us all the time. Don’t think for one tick that you’re alone. You’re not.”

“Thanks, Pidge!”

Hunk’s voice crackles over the intercom, concern, and a bit of annoyance evident in it. “Hey Keith, Pidge, Allura! A little help here!”

Keith responds back immediately. “What’s up Hunk?”

“It’s Lance. He got himself stuck in the maintenance well in his Lion, I need help getting him out.”

Keith and Pidge shoot each other very quizzical and confused looks. “How did that happen, Hunk?”

A highly annoyed Hunk replies, “Don’t ask. You’ll be happier that way.”

“We’re on our way. Tell Lance…not to go anywhere.”

“Trust me, he’s not!”

Keith turns to Pidge. “Like I said…I’ll be calling you every three vargas. Let’s go rescue Lance from himself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually combined two planned chapters into this one, so that means there are two planned chapters left in this work. In the next chapter, Acxa comes face to face with the leader of the Fire of Purification.


	10. The Fire of Purification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blade of Marmora shift their area of operations to the Solar System. In charge of the Blade of Marmora forces, Acxa is reunited with her former commander during her time with the Coalition. During an intelligence gathering mission, she comes face-to-face with the leader of the Fire of Purification. Barely surviving the encounter, she experiences an out-of-body divine experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place between the first and second scenes of Chapter 8 (The Journey Within) of Rejected by the Galra. Note that there is a three-month gap between the first and second scenes of Chapter 8, and the chapter you are about to read falls within that time gap. All of the first scene and the beginning of the second scene from Chapter 8 of Rejected by the Galra are included to provide context within the overall timeline of the Galra Chronicles series. 
> 
> Several plot points that are included in Rejected by the Galra and in The Seven Paladins are foreshadowed in this chapter.

**Nerves (Opening scene from Chapter 8 The Journey Within from Rejected by the Galra)**

Five phoebs have passed since the fight with Macidus on the ruined planet. Despite simulations and forced routine, the Paladins are suffering the effects of lethargy due to the long journey home. On top of that, power issues continue to plague the Lions. Looking for a means to power up the Lions or make the trip shorter, Keith, Pidge, and Allura conduct a series of experiments.

“Pidge, maybe if we run this configuration.”

“Still nothing, Keith.”

“Allura, try the sonic wave.”

“Ok, I’ll try.” Blue attempts to power up, and immediately powers down. “It’s still not working. And it probably won’t work again until our power-cores are recharged.”

“Roger that. Well, our long-range scanners still haven’t detected any planets nearby. No star systems, nothing.” The numbing effect of the trip is telling in Pidge’s voice.

In Blue, Lance and Romelle are feeling the effects of a long voyage in space. Both are numbed by the monotony of the trip. “Ugh. How long have we been out here?” Lance gets whiny when he’s bored.

Yawning and stretching, Romelle replies, “Going on nine phoebs since we started this trip.”

“And how long is it gonna take us to get to Earth at this speed?”

“I think Pidge said something like ten billion decaphoebs.”

Nerves are frazzled and tempers short at this point. Clearly irritated, Pidge corrects Romelle. “I said one and a half Earth years.”

“Eh, sorry…”

“Whoa, whoa. Wait, there’s a big discrepancy between ten billion decaphoebs and one and a half Earth years. Which one is it?”

Pidge loses it. “IT’S ONE AND A HALF EARTH YEARS, HUNK! We’ve gone over this several times, though there may be a margin of error of about a phoeb, depending on any time dilation we encounter.”

Keith does his best to reel everyone back in. “Look, we knew this wasn’t going to be an easy or quick voyage but replacing the Castle of Lions is our top priority. We just have to stay sharp and maintain discipline. We knew when we started this journey that we’d be low on power. We didn’t plan on going through the Galactic Void, but we’ll get through it.”

“Don’t worry, guys. We’ll run into something eventually that will turn this trip around.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“If my experience in space has taught me anything Hunk, it’s that something always comes along to try to kill us.” Lance’s words will soon prove to be prophetic.

**The Long Road**

While the Paladins struggle through the long road toward Earth, another group is making their way towards the Solar System. Acxa is taking roughly one-half of the current strength of the Blade of Marmora and moving them to a forward position in the Alpha Centauri system. Finding a small planetoid in the middle of an asteroid field, she establishes her forward base while deploying security forces to cover their activities.

The base established, Acxa begins a methodical process of sweeping the Alpha Centauri system, looking for evidence of the Fire of Purification, or other space faring races that may give away their presence. Security is of the essence, and she is not ready to reveal the presence of the Blade of Marmora to Sendak. Not yet, anyway.

Finding no evidence of hostile or other activity, she deploys a picket screen of scouts in an arc around the Blade of Marmora positions. These scouts will act as a tripwire should Sendak send forces out of the Solar System towards them.

Watching his leader execute her plan, Master Chief Meltok is struck by a thought. Gone is the former General/former rebel who lost not only her way but her self-confidence. That person has been replaced by the serious, no-nonsense Blade of Marmora Senior Commander who is completely focused on her mission. She asks for input on matters from her subordinates, but once a decision is made she is not in the mood for debate. She’s worked hard to earn the respect and trust of the Blades in her unit. They understand that their Senior Commander expects them to tell her what she needs to hear, not what she wants to hear.

Acxa proves to be strong delegator, not a micromanager. Meltok would like to believe he taught her that skill, but he knows that it was already included as part of who Acxa is. Instead he encouraged her to rely on that skill as a way of getting more things done and developing her subordinates. He sees her talking to and visiting the members of her command to meet them and understand what they do. She wants to be, and is viewed to be, approachable to her subordinates.

Meltok knew after their first mission together that Acxa had all the necessary skills and personality traits to be a strong and successful leader. He is very pleased to see his belief play out in front of him. Yet, despite her strengths and abilities, he knows she has one major blind spot. It is this blind spot that has him observing his Senior Commander very closely.

One movement after establishing her forward base, contact is made with the Coalition cell operating in this area. Arrangements are made for them to meet with Acxa on her flagship. She is treading carefully, not wanting to risk compromising the location of her base. As much as she wants to trust the Coalition, she is not trusting anyone at this point.

That is, until the Coalition leader is brought to her briefing room after arriving on her ship with a small delegation. Turning to look at their guest, she can’t help but let a smile cross her face for the first time in a phoeb.

The Coalition leader is her former commander during her time with the Rebels. Striding toward each other, the two drop all pretense of formality and greet each other with a warm embrace.

Master Chief Meltok is momentarily taken aback. “Ok, I’m guessing you two know each other?”

Stepping back from the embrace and gazing at her former and current comrade in arms, she identifies their mystery guest.

_“Master Chief Meltok, may I present Voltron Coalition Commander Matt Holt.”_

Matt looks to Acxa and smiles. “Acxa, I’m glad to see you managed to survive and that your head is still attached to your shoulders!”

_“I’m glad to see you as well, Matt. And why wouldn’t my head be attached to my shoulders? I’d be dead if it weren’t”_

Matt rolls his eyes and laughs. “Serious as always.”

Knowing that Acxa is not one for small talk during a mission, he gets down to business. “You’re looking well. Something about you though is…different. I mean…beside the uniform. I’m guessing it has to do with the rumors we’re hearing…rumors about Voltron reappearing?”

_“That’s part of it. A lot has happened since we last saw each other, Matt.”_

“I expected as much. We know the Blade of Marmora is aware of the invasion of Earth, and we are under the impression that you are here to lead a guerilla war against the Fire of Purification on Earth. The message from Kolivan said that you would brief me on what was going on. In his message he strongly hinted that Voltron was back. Are the rumors true? Have the Paladins returned?”

_“Yes, the rumors are true. I spent four phoebs with them. I need to get you caught up on what’s been going on.”_

Acxa spends most of the next two vargas getting Matt caught up on what she’s been doing. What she did between the time she left his Coalition cell and met up with the Paladins.

“Wow, so you found the Paladins and trashed Zethrid and Ezor’s cruiser to get them out? I’ll bet Keith was glad to see you!” Matt’s question is deliberate, an attempt to gauge if Acxa still has feelings for the Black Paladin.

Acxa picks up on his intent immediately and gives him the safe answer. _“I was glad to see all the Paladins. It means Voltron is still a force to be reckoned with. It means the Voltron Coalition still has a chance.”_ Despite the neutral answer, her blushing gives away her true feelings.

She then relates to Matt her four phoebs with the Paladins. The decision to search for a replacement for the Castle of Lions; how she got to know Keith and Krolia through the shared telling of their back stories to one another; and their second run-in with Zethrid and Ezor.

“Huh. So, you rescued Keith again? I’ll bet he was really glad to have you around!”

There is no clean way for her to wiggle out of this one. _“My intent was to help rescue all of the Paladins and their passengers, but Keith managed to get himself into a bit of a pickle thinking he could take on Zethrid by himself. So, yeah…”_ Her voice trails off and she looks away, trying to hide the fact that she’s blushing even more.

_“During one of our stops, your sister and I had a chance to talk. It was the first time we had a chance to talk with each other. She’s quite an interesting person, Matt. Probably the smartest person I’ve ever met…next to you of course.”_

Matt laughs and lets her off the hook. “No, it’s ok. She’s smarter than me, she knows it, and she’s not afraid to tell me.”

_“She told me to tell you that when she sees you again, you better be ready for some bad puns. I must admit, I didn’t know what a pun was until Keith explained it to me, after the conversation with your sister was over.”_

“I’m assuming she dropped a few on you during the trip?”

_“If by ‘dropping a few’ you mean she told me a few puns, the answer is yes.”_

“Well, if she dropped a few puns on you, that means she likes you. I’m glad you had the talk with her and that the two of you bonded. Thank you, for letting me know she’s ok. Or at least was. I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”

Matt is keenly interested in her description of the fight with Macidus and the events leading up to her, Zethrid, and Ezor joining the Blade of Marmora. “You probably won’t believe me, but I always felt you would make an excellent member of the Blade of Marmora. I’m glad to see you did just that. And I’m not surprised one bit at how quickly you rose through the ranks. I watched you for two decaphoebs with the Voltron Coalition. You were the best leader out of all of us. When you left, it left a void in our leadership we never really closed.”

_“So, what happened with the Voltron Coalition, after I left, Matt? _

Matt’s mood darkens at the question. “Macidus happened. He was a real villain in more ways than one. He was not only responsible for the near-destruction of the Blade of Marmora. He was the one responsible for the destruction of many Rebel cells. You were around for the beginning of that destruction. The Druids hunted us down like we were animals. It was a horrible time. I try hard not to think about it.”

“But, that time is past. The Blades and the Voltron Coalition are rebuilding. That’s what I want to focus on. The future. Our ranks were depleted but since the rise of the Fire of Purification the Empire has been worried about other things. That’s allowed us to rebuild our ranks.”

“Tell me more about Voltron. And why the Coalition is just now being told that Voltron is back?” The tone in Matt’s voice is sharp, and it’s obvious he is upset. His question is one Acxa was expecting and is prepared to answer.

_“I don’t blame you for being angry, Matt. We didn’t tell the Coalition because we weren’t sure what your status was. We also wanted to maintain information security. In Kolivan’s defense, he’s only been aware of Voltron’s reemergence for five phoebs, and we were fighting the Fire of Purification around Neteria, Wordaki, and Biscarion. We realized during those campaigns it would be in our best interest to keep Voltron’s status a secret. It’s obvious Sendak is laying a trap for them, but it’s also obvious through recent intel that he has no clue where they are. We need to keep it that way.”_

Matt ponders her words for a moment, then nods in agreement. “That makes sense. I was afraid that the Galra would launch an attack against Earth as a way of luring Voltron into a trap. Shortly after my father made it back to Earth, the Galaxy Garrison started broadcasting out into space, trying to contact Voltron. It took me awhile, but I was finally able to contact him. I begged him to stop the broadcasts. They were a beam that our enemies could track back to Earth, and the fact that they were calling Voltron pinpointed Earth as the home planet for all but one of the Paladins.”

Acxa puts her hand on Matt’s as a sign of support. _“I’m sorry this happened to your home world, Matt. I’m here with the Blades to help in any manner I can. And to make sure the Paladins don’t fall into the trap Sendak is laying for them. But to do that, I need to know the situation in the Solar System. Can you help me with that?”_

The happy-go-lucky Matt Holt is gone, replaced by his deadly serious alter ego. “I can, and I will.”

Acxa calls for Master Chief Meltok to join them, then pulls up a hologram of the Solar System as Matt begins his briefing.

“Our Coalition units have been monitoring the outer reaches of the Solar System looking for any signs of Voltron. We’ve established tripwires just inside the orbit of Neptune, the eighth planed from Sol. The good news is that the Fire of Purification lines don’t extend beyond the sixth planet, Saturn, and even then the majority of those are scouts. Most of the Fire of Purification forces are on the Earth/Mars side of the asteroid belt. Our problem is that our ships are few, and there are significant gaps in our coverage. Right now, we have six scout ships in that orbit. Can the Blade of Marmora help us by covering those gaps?”

Acxa looks to Master Chief Meltok, who nods. “Yes. We’ll cover the gaps. What else do you have for us?”

Matt now focuses the hologram on Earth. “The situation on Earth is not good. Our intelligence is limited for obvious reasons, but this is what we know. The entire planet is occupied, except for one small area here, on the North American continent. It’s the headquarters facility of the Galaxy Garrison.”

“The Galaxy Garrison? That's the name of the Earth defense and exploration forces, right?"

“Yes, that's correct Master Chief.”

“I haven’t been to Earth since I left it as part of the Kerberos mission. The Garrison Headquarters base, which is quite large, is holding out. It’s the only place on the planet that is. Sendak and his forces are standing off from it, as if they are afraid of it. I’m not sure why, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth.”

_“Matt, is that the base where your father is currently located?”_

“Yes, so if they are using weaponry advanced enough to make Sendak skittish, he’s got something to do with it. And if…when Voltron gets here, that is where they will go. If you notice, there is a large concentration of cruisers and battleships ringing the facility.”

_“Do we have communications established with the Galaxy Garrison?”_

“Yes. We try not to overuse it to maintain message security.”

_“Good. Get a message to your father. Tell them to hang on, that help is on the way.”_ Turning to Meltok, she issues the order to prepare scout ships to join and work with the Coalition scouts. _“Assuming all is still well with the Paladins, they will be here soon.”_

Meltok does not look up from tablet he is using to take notes. “Soon is a relative term, Senior Commander.”

Meltok and Matt both detect the anger behind her reply. _“Master Chief, I waited three decaphoebs for Voltron to reappear. I know what it’s like to hold out hope over a long period of time, waiting for Voltron to show up. The Paladins will be here in a matter of phoebs, of that I am certain. We need to be ready for them. Understood?”_

“Understood, Senior Commander.” Standing to leave and execute her orders, he knows he’s touched on a raw nerve. One that he plans to have a serious conversation about with her.

Alone with Acxa in the briefing room, Matt can still detect the anger and frustration Acxa is feeling. He takes a chance and asks her a very blunt and very direct question.

“Have you told Keith how you feel about him?”

Acxa wheels on Matt and glares at him, the frustration very evident in her voice. _“Why does everyone ask me that?!”_

“Because it’s obvious to everyone who knows you how you feel about him. Also, because I remember whose name you called out when you were injured on your first mission with the Coalition. Acxa, I’m speaking to you as your friend. Be careful. He’s your blind spot. Just…be careful, please.”

Clearly annoyed, she crosses her arms, bites her lip, and stares straight ahead. _“Now you sound like Kolivan.”_

“Then perhaps you should listen to him!”

**The Front Door**

Before posting Blade of Marmora scouts to fill the gaps in the tripwire ring in Neptune’s orbit, Acxa decides to send scouting parties closer to Earth. Matt’s intel proves to be correct as her scouts detect Fire of Purification pickets in the orbit of Saturn. Using the rings of Saturn for concealment, her scouts begin electronic eavesdropping on Fire of Purification communications.

Operating on radio silence, the scouts collect some useful intelligence. After monitoring communications for three quintants, the scouts withdraw. Acxa does not want to risk exposing the presence of the Blade of Marmora in the Solar system.

One quintant after the return of the Scouts, Master Chief Meltok presents a readout of their findings to Acxa and Matt, and to Kolivan and Krolia who are joining via secure remote connection.

“As our earlier intelligence indicated, there are six full fleets surrounding Earth. The Fire of Purification ground assault has occupied all but one relatively small area of the planet. The headquarters base for the Earth defense forces, known as the Galaxy Garrison. This base is located in the southwest portion of the North American continent. We’re not entirely certain why they haven’t assaulted the base in force, but there are indications of strong particle shielding in place around the base complex.”

_“That would partially explain their ability to hold out for a time. What I don’t understand is why Sendak isn’t attacking them with the full weight of his forces.”_

Krolia reminds Acxa of something from a conversation they had after one of their sparring sessions. “Acxa, think back to what your mother taught you as a young girl. What’s the best way to get a bully to back down and leave you alone?”

_“Punch them in the…nose. OF COURSE! Master Chief do we have any indication from the new intel of advanced weaponry in use at that base?”_

“No, but if they have particle technology it’s a safe bet they also have Ion weapon technology. If they managed to shoot down a few of his cruisers, that may have convinced him to back off. That’s a pure guess, but the intelligence we gathered indicates Sendak is just as much in the dark regarding the capabilities of the defenders of that base as we are.”

Matt stares at the holographic image of Earth, specifically the southwest corner of the North American continent. “That base is where my father is stationed, and I know when he left the Castle of Lions he took hordes of schematics with him. Meltok’s guess is as good as any we have right now.”

Kolivan steps closer to the hologram and studies it intently. “We need to get closer in to Earth, to gather more detailed intelligence.”

“There may be a way for us to do that, Blademaster. Our intel shows that Sendak must have an off-planet supply chain. There appears to be a supply operation headquartered out of a large command battleship around the fourth planet.”

Seeing Meltok look to him for assistance, “That planet is called Mars.”

“Thank you, Matt. They appear to be extracting resources from Mars and from the nearby asteroid belt. I’m certain that ship can give us most if not all of the information we need.”

“Yes, but how do we get it. Sneaking on board and taking it over won’t work. It will give away the fact that the Blade of Marmora is in the Solar System. By now Sendak knows how we took over four of his cruisers. I suspect they’ve adjusted ship security.”

Acxa folds her hands, taps her index fingers together and smiles. _“We don’t have to sneak in and take it over, Krolia. We can just walk right in through the front door.”_

Krolia has seen this look on her protégé’s face before. “What do you have in mind, Acxa?”

_“From our takeover of the cruisers during the Wordaki and Biscarion campaigns, we have the Fire of Purification transponder codes for their fighters. There are so many fighters deployed by the Fire of Purification that we should be able to sneak three or four onto the ship by simply landing them in their hangars. So even if they’ve tightened their security to preclude interlopers from sneaking onto their ships, it won’t matter.”_

“That is one of the riskiest…and most brilliant ideas I’ve heard in some time. It’s so blatantly bold that the Fire of Purification would never suspect it.”

_“Exactly what I was thinking, Krolia. We go in through the front door, blend in with the crew, hack into the system and gather the information we need, then leave the same way we came in.”_

Kolivan has heard, seen, and executed plans far more outlandish. “It sounds too simple, but we’ll never know what we don’t know unless we try it. Acxa, assemble the team to execute your plan and go with it when you are ready.”

**Meltok**

“Senior Commander, you cannot be serious! Do you realize what you are risking by doing this?!” Meltok’s visceral reaction is to the list of names given to him by Acxa. They are the ones who are to execute the raid on the Fire of Purification Supply Headquarters ship. The name at the top of the list is Acxa’s.

_“I’m deadly serious, Master Chief. I’m the most qualified to lead this mission. I need to lead it.”_

Meltok is beside himself with disbelief that she is seriously contemplating this course of action. “Yes, and if you were still just a Commander under Krolia I would have no objection. But you are a Senior Commander now. You are not a company-grade officer any more. You are a field grade officer with strategic responsibilities. You have subordinates, very capable subordinates, who can successfully lead this mission. As the leader over this entire force you can’t keep throwing yourself in harm’s way!”

_“These are the types of missions I would go on when I was one of Lotor’s Generals.”_

“Lotor was an idiot! You’ve said that several times yourself! Acxa, let’s talk about one other thing. You’re a half-breed! You are planning on going into the den of xenophobic zealots who will recognize you as a half-breed in less than two ticks!”

Acxa locks eyes with her Master Chief and speaks firmly. _“I appreciate your input, Master Chief. However, I’ve made my decision. I will lead this mission. Please have Sergeant Bars and the others report to the Hangar Bay in one varga. I will brief them there.” _

Meltok grits his teeth and stares at her in silence, his face betraying a mixture of concern and frustration. Acxa voices her annoyance with his delay in executing her orders. _“Master Chief, I gave you an order.”_

“As you wish, Senior Commander.” Krolia told Meltok that Acxa could be stubborn. He hopes her stubbornness doesn’t prove to be fatal.

Delivering Acxa’s orders to Bars and the rest of her team, he returns to the command center. His loyalty and concern for his Senior Commander is driving him to do something he was hoping to never do. “Open a channel to Blade headquarters.”

“This is Master Chief Meltok. I need to speak with Senior Commander Krolia. Advise her this is urgent.”

**Sendak**

A group of four fighters approach the massive battleship serving as the command center for the Fire of Purification resupply effort. Blending in with other fighter craft moving into and out of the ship, they are not given a second look. Flashing their transponder signals to the ships Flight Command Center, they are given clearance for landing in the main Hangar Bay.

Touching down in the Hangar Bay, three live Galra pilots and one pilot droid exit the fighters and proceed to the Hangar Exit. In disguise as Fire of Purification fighter pilots, Sergeant Bars and two other Blades easily pass as members of the Fire of Purification. The pilot droid is virtually unnoticed by everyone else in the area, and that suits Acxa, who is disguised as that droid, just fine.

_“Bars, are you sure you know where the data hubs in this ship are located?”_

“No worries, Acxa. I spent twenty decaphoebs on one of these ships. I know their layout.” Indicating a direction, he tells the rest of his team, “This way.”

The data hubs on a battleship are the points where all of the computer systems within the ship are interconnected. On a Galra battleship there are three data hubs, a primary hub and two backups. The primary hub is manned on a regular basis. The secondary hubs are not staffed except as needed. Locating one of the secondary hubs, Bars hacks into the security system at the door and gains access for the team.

“Ok, we need to move quickly. These secondary hubs aren’t manned except in an emergency. That doesn’t mean people don’t sneak down here to do…things.”

Removing her helmet to breathe, taking care to avoid pulling on her horns, Acxa looks at him quizzically. _“Things?”_

“Yeah, you know…things.” He hopes that his Senior Commander’s legendary curiosity doesn’t get the better of her. He really doesn’t want to explain what he’s referring to, especially since his teammates have already figured it out and will give him a hard time about it.

_“What kind of things, Bars?”_

Well, so much for that hope. Bars is blushing a bright purple as he searches for a polite way of describing what he means. “The kind of things that…a man and a woman looking for privacy…do together.”

Acxa’s eyes grow wide as she realizes what Bars is referring to. _“Ok, we are NOT having this conversation!”_ Hearing a chuckle from her other team members, she turns to them. _“And you two get your minds out of the gutter and get back to work! Move!”_

Over the course of the next four vargas the team collects vast amounts of data from the computer system. Most of the information is supply chain related, but along with that they also copy command communication logs dating back to the beginning of the invasion.

Before leaving, Bars sets up several explosive devices around the room, linked to a remote triggering device he is carrying. “Just in case we need a distraction. Ok, it’s time to go. Let’s pack up and get out of here.”

_“One dobosh. I need to squeeze my head back into this helmet. The horns make it tricky.”_

Before Acxa can don her helmet, the door opposite the one they used to enter the room opens. Striding through the open door, obviously in the middle of an inspection tour, is ship’s Chief Data Officer, the ship’s Captain…and the leader of the Fire of Purification.

Commander Sendak.

“What is the meaning of this? What are you doing…” The Chief Data Officer stops mid-sentence as he looks at and points to Acxa. “You’re not part of this crew!”

Sendak steps forward, sneering disdain in his voice. “No she’s not. Clearly a half-breed intruder.” It only takes a few ticks for him to recognize her. “I know you. You’re one of Lotor’s Generals. Acxa is it? You’re the one Haggar sent to find me and bring me to the Kral Zera!”

In an equally sneering tone, Acxa returns his taunt. _“And how did that work out for you, Sendak? I don’t seem to recall you climbing those steps that day. You had a bit of trouble with Lotor if I remember correctly.”_

Sendak’s expression twists in anger as Acxa’s taunt hits a nerve. “And some interference from the Blade of Marmora. But we’ve eliminated them. You no longer serve Haggar, do you? No matter. I will ascend those steps on Feyiv soon enough, half-breed. Then you and all your kind will take their rightful place as our servants in the new Empire.”

_“Not if I have anything to say about it…asshole.”_ With that final taunt, Acxa pulls her blaster and fires at Sendak. As Sendak and his party take cover, Acxa and her team scramble out the opposite door. _“MOVE! BACK TO THE FIGHTERS!”_

Scrambling down the hallway, the team comes under heavy fire. As they make their way toward the Hangar Bay, Sendak launches his claw toward Acxa. Striking her before she can turn the corner, she is slammed hard into a wall.

Hearing her cry of pain, Bars stops and goes back for her. Seeing her pinned to the wall by Sendak’s claw, Bars fires at Sendak in rapid-fire fashion, forcing him to pull his claw back.

“Acxa, can you walk?”

Her body wracked with searing pain, Acxa speaks through gritted teeth. _“No, my leg is broken. Bars, go, take the data and get out of here.”_

Bars lends her a shoulder and begins to drag her down the hallway as the other team members cover them. “What’s that? Can’t hear you with all the racket!”

As she cries out in pain, she manages to turn and get some shots off with her blaster pistol. _“Bars, drop me now or you’ll never make it off the ship!”_

“NO WAY, ACXA! YOU SAVED MY ASS BACK ON WORDAKI ON OUR FIRST MISSION. I’M NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND! NOW GET READY TO DUCK!”

Pulling up his wrist computer, Bars triggers the explosive device housed in the data hub. A massive explosion rips through the ship, triggering overwhelming chaos among the battleship’s crew. Sendak, the Ship’s Captain, and the Chief Data Officer among others are slammed into bulkheads by the explosion and rendered unconscious.

Bars smiles at his handiwork. “That should keep them occupied for a few doboshes. Let’s go team, we need to take advantage of the confusion.”

Slipping back into a chaotic Hangar Bay, Bars loads Acxa onto his fighter while the others climb into the cockpit of their fighters. Before lifting her up into the cockpit, he places a small towel into her mouth. “Acxa, this is going to hurt. Bite down on this. It won’t ease the pain, but it will keep your voice from carrying through the Hangar Bay.”

Launching from the ship before anyone in the Hangar Bay realizes what is going on, the team quickly weaves their way through the maze of Galra fighters and duck into the asteroid belt. Turning to check on his passenger, Bars sees that she’s slipped into unconsciousness. “Probably for the best. That leg has to hurt like hell.”

Exiting the asteroid belt, they take a circuitous route past Jupiter and the Fire of Purification pickets around Saturn. Once clear of the Fire of Purification lines, Bars opens a communication channel to the Blade of Marmora cruiser stationed just behind Neptune, out of visual and radar range of the Fire of Purification.

“This is Bars. We are coming in hot. I repeat, coming in hot. One casualty to report, in serious condition. We need a healing pod.”

Meltok’s voice crackles over his intercom, laced with concerned. “Understood Bars. Who is the casualty?”

Bars exhales heavily before answering. “The Senior Commander. Severe leg injury, a confirmed broken leg bone, most likely a dislocated hip to go with it.”

Meltok curses to himself before responding. “Understood. You are cleared for landing in main Hangar Bay. Medical team with healing pod standing by.”

Upon landing, and seeing Acxa placed into the care of the medical team, Bars turns over the intelligence they gathered to Meltok. “From an objective standpoint, the raid was a success. We would have gotten away clean if Sendak weren’t there on an inspection tour.”

“Sendak? You ran into Sendak?! Did they make you out as Blade of Marmora?”

“No. He did recognize Acxa, but he doesn’t know she’s Blade of Marmora. Sendak told her that they had ‘eliminated’ us. He doesn’t know we’re Blades. In his mind the Blades no longer exist, and the four of us were nothing more than vagabond space pirates.”

“Bars, do you know how he recognized her?”

“He knows her as one of Lotor’s Generals. He also said that Haggar sent her out to find him and bring him to the Kral Zera Ceremony, the one where Lotor eventually became Emperor.”

“Hmm. That makes sense. I always wondered how he made it there. He was stuck in the outer reaches of the Empire for some time, after he bungled a mission against the Paladins on Arus. Now I know.”

“You talk like you were there at the Kral Zera, Master Chief. Were you?”

“I was. That was my first experience with the Black Paladin and Voltron. Sendak and Lotor got into a fight on the steps of the Kral Zera. The whole scene disintegrated into mass pandemonium. Factions fought with one another. I remember Voltron intervened on Lotor’s behalf. At least that’s how I remember it.”

They are interrupted by a message from the Bridge. “Forgive the intrusion, Master Chief. Senior Commander Krolia acknowledges receipt of your message. She requests that you keep her informed.”

“Thank you, I shall do that. What is our estimated time of arrival at Alpha Centauri base?”

“Just over one quintant, Master Chief.”

As Meltok ends the transmission, Bars is dreading what comes next. “Wow. Krolia is not going to like what happened once she finds out the details of the raid. Successful mission or not, she’ll rip into Acxa.”

Meltok looks at Bars and shakes his head. “Krolia’s not the one Acxa needs to worry about."

**Showdown**

Emerging from the healing pod, the first person Acxa sees is Krolia, wearing a look of concern for her well-being. Attempting to stand, Acxa is overcome with a wave of dizziness and would have dropped to the floor if Krolia had not caught her.

“Easy now. You’ve been in that pod for three quintants. Take a dobosh and get your legs back under you.”

The dizziness begins to abate and her mind begins to clear. _“I’m…I’m fine now. Thank you. Th…three quintants?”_

“Yup. You took quite a shot from Sendak. You’re lucky. That claw of his could have killed you.”

Acxa suddenly realizes she’s speaking with someone she didn’t expect to be there. _“Krolia…why are you here?”_

“I’ll explain later. Let’s get you in a proper uniform. Kolivan wants to talk to you."

A feeling of dread sweeps over her. _“Let me guess…he’s not happy with me?”_

Krolia tosses her uniform to Acxa. “Saying he’s not happy with you is putting it mildly. To be honest, I’m a bit miffed at you myself.”

Krolia and Acxa exchange no words as they make their way to the briefing room where Master Chief Meltok is waiting for them. Acxa is expecting him to open a communication link to Blade headquarters but he moves to the door on the opposite side of the room. Opening it, she sees, much to her surprise, Kolivan stepping into the room. Acxa and Krolia salute him.

_“Blademaster.”_

“Senior Commander Acxa Combari.” Kolivan speaks those four words slowly then pauses, and that pause sends a chill down Acxa’s spine as she prepares for the butt chewing she is about to receive. “You and I need to have a talk. Meltok, Krolia, I need a few doboshes with the Senior Commander.”

Turning to leave, Krolia whispers to her, “Good luck.”

The room now emptied except for Kolivan and Acxa, He steps in front of her. “Senior Commander, you know why I’m here, don’t you?”

_“To be honest Blademaster, I don’t.”_

“I see. Just so there are no misunderstandings, let me clear things up for you. I am here because my most valued and experienced large unit commander developed an admirable tactical plan to obtain needed intelligence, then suffered a serious lack of judgement and placed her overall strategic mission in jeopardy. She ignored the advice of her Master Chief and took the lead of a raid that should have been led by a subordinate. By ignoring his advice, she not only displayed an utter lack of confidence in her subordinates, she sustained serious injuries that nearly killed her. Does this sound like someone you know, Senior Commander?”

_“With all due respect Blademaster, I disagree with your statement. I was the most qualified person to lead this mission. I don’t believe what I did shows lack of confidence in my subordinates.”_

“Your actions don’t back up your words. You may be the most qualified in terms of experience, but you lost sight of the larger strategic objective. You are responsible for the overall Blade of Marmora mission against the Fire of Purification. By failing to place one of your subordinates, several of whom are very capable of successfully executing the mission, you placed that entire Blade of Marmora operation in jeopardy. If you were captured or killed our forces in this sector of space would be leaderless and our presence here would be compromised. All because you let your emotions override what you should have known was right and those emotions clouded your judgement.”

Defiance burns in Acxa’s eyes as she glares harshly at Kolivan. _“What do you mean by that, Blademaster? When you say that my emotions clouded my judgement?” _

Kolivan stares firmly back at Acxa and speaks bluntly. “I believe you wanted to find out what information the Fire of Purification had on Voltron.”

_“Yes, that’s exactly what we wanted to find out. You make it sound like that is wrong.”_

“It’s not wrong, but you could have, and should have sent a subordinate to lead the raid. I don’t understand it, Acxa. You are one of the most effective delegators I’ve ever worked with, yet you risked the strategic mission by leading this intelligence gathering raid yourself. The only conclusion I can draw is that you were impatient, and your emotional attachments clouded your judgement. And because you were in a healing pod for three quintants, you didn’t find out what the Fire of Purification knows as quickly as you would have if you’d sent a subordinate.”

Acxa decides to cut right to the chase. They’ve danced around the reason for Kolivan’s displeasure and it’s time to lay it on the table. _“Let’s speak plainly, Blademaster. You’re saying my feelings for Keith clouded my judgement. If that’s true, I stand before you to say I am guilty as charged. I am not ashamed of my feelings for Keith. I will do whatever I must do to safeguard him and the other Paladins once they finally get here!”_

Noticeably shaking after her outburst, Acxa pauses to reflect on her words and what she’s just heard from Kolivan. She speaks contritely to Kolivan. _“I admit that what I did placed the overall mission in jeopardy, and I take responsibility for my actions on the raid. I stand by my words regarding Keith and the Paladins. I promise I will not jeopardize the strategic mission like that again, but I also understand if you feel you must relieve me of my command because of my actions.”_

Kolivan exhales heavily, a sigh of frustration. “Acxa, please sit down.” Taking the seat next to her, Kolivan softens his tone. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You are my best field commander. I would be a fool to relieve you, and I have no intention of relieving you. But Acxa I am worried about you. You have one major blind spot and the name of that blind spot is Keith. I respect your feelings for him, but if you don’t find a way to control them you will get yourself killed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Acxa sighs heavily, the fight completely gone from her. _“Yes, Blademaster. I understand.”_

“Very good. I consider this matter closed. Now, let’s talk about the additional intelligence you gathered.”

Acxa summons Krolia and Meltok into the room, and Meltok begins his briefing. The intelligence gathered during the mission confirmed what they already knew, and in many cases provided additional details. For instance, the logs indicate that the Galaxy Garrison base possesses powerful Ion weapons that took down at least two Fire of Purification cruisers. There is one new detail that stands out as potentially explosive.

“We’ve confirmed the name of the person we believe is Sendak’s backer. Haggar. There were random log entries of Sendak’s communications with her. She seems to be very interested in Voltron, and like us she has no clue as to their whereabouts.”

Acxa’s blood runs cold. _“That witch.”_

Kolivan grunts and shakes his head. “I can think of a different name for her. One that rhymes with witch.”

“Acxa, in light of the additional intelligence you’ve gathered, I’d like you to prepare a briefing regarding your next steps. Let me know if you’ll need additional resources. I can’t promise much, but I’ll certainly give you what we have.”

_“Yes, Blademaster. Give me one quintant and I’ll have a framework ready for your review.”_

As the briefing ends, Acxa remains behind to collect her thoughts. She is emotionally drained by the confrontation with the Blademaster. Reflecting on her butt-chewing by Kolivan, she realizes he’s right. She’s always prided herself on remaining objective and clear-headed, and she failed to behave that way on this latest mission.

“Senior Commander…are you ok?” A concerned Meltok sits next to her.

A pensive Acxa stares down at a blank tablet, embarrassed to face him. _“Ok is a relative term, Master Chief. I knew better than to do what I did. I almost blew it.”_

“Cheer up. You’re not the first person the Blademaster has chewed out. You won’t be the last.”

_“Well, this one was deserved. I made far too many mistakes on this raid. Starting with the fact that I ignored your advice. For that, I apologize. I told you I would be leaning on you for your insight, and then I didn’t follow your advice when I should have.”_

“Senior Commander, there are times when you should disregard my advice. I’ll go back to our first mission together, to illustrate that point. When you made the decision to come back for me and Bars when I told you to leave us. You saved that mission by sticking to your gut instinct. The hard part of your job is deciding when to ignore advice given and making sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. When your personal feelings enter the decision-making process, chances are you’ll make the wrong decision.”

“To be honest Acxa, this time you ignored my advice for the wrong reason. You have a blind spot and you know it. Don’t beat yourself up for your mistake. Learn from it. I’ll tell you again…trust your gut instinct.”

**Guidance from the Goddess**

Laying in bed completely exhausted, Acxa falls into a deep sleep. In a dream, a tall figure in long flowing robes, with the head of a lion approaches her. She is on a strange planet, the surface of which is shrouded in a fine mist. Pyramids are barely visible in the distance. Unable to make out the details of the figure’s face, Acxa calls out to them.

_“Who are you?”_

“I am the Goddess of the Universe, Acxa. The one you call the Supreme Spirit.”

Acxa is both confused and frightened. _“How…why…?”_

“I am here because you called out to me in your prayers. I come to call you to your duty. The universe is in grave peril, and it needs all its Paladins. Be watchful, Acxa. Those whom you seek, the Paladins of Voltron, will be with you soon. You must join with them.”

_“The Paladins…they are safe? All of them?”_

“Yes, Acxa. They are all safe. Including the one you hold closest to your heart.”

_“Keith…How can I be sure. This is just a dream.”_

“See for yourself.” The mist vanishes, and Acxa finds herself being transported through the darkest regions of space. She stops in surroundings familiar to her. Surroundings she’s not seen in five phoebs.

She is in the cockpit of the Black Lion. With Keith.

_“Keith! Keith, it’s me!”_

“He cannot hear or see you, child, because you are not physically here with him. You can see, he is alive. There are still trials he and his fellow Paladins must go through. When those trials are completed, he will return and your deepest desire to be reunited will be fulfilled. You must prepare for his return. The Black Paladin will rely on the White Paladin for aid and comfort.”

_“The White Paladin? Who is the White Paladin?”_

“Look within yourself for that answer Acxa Combari. Be prepared.”

Shouting, Acxa awakens from her dream drenched in a cold sweat. She looks around frantically and finds she is in her quarters. Remembering the dream in vivid detail, she resolves not to tell anyone else about it, not even Keith. Crawling out of bed, she changes her nightclothes and gets herself a glass of warm milk.

Acxa sits on her bed and pulls her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs. Talking to herself, she does her best to make sense of what just happened. _“It was just a dream. I won’t say anything to anyone about the White Paladin. There is no White Lion. It was just a dream. A dream because…I want to see Keith again. I…want to hold him again.”_

Unable to sleep, Acxa moves to the desk in her quarters and, with a renewed sense of purpose she completes her draft of a revised strategy for dealing with the Fire of Purification and preparing for the arrival of Voltron. Her revised plan calls for the movement of her command closer to the Solar System, placing her forces just outside the orbit of the ninth planet. When Voltron reappears, she wants her forces in a position to attack the Fire of Purification from the rear to take the pressure off of Voltron.

To watch for Voltron, she will make good on her promise to Matt Holt to post her remaining scout ships in the orbit of Neptune to compliment the Coalition scouts already there. Her intent is to create a complete tripwire that will not only detect Voltron’s arrival, but also detect movement by the Fire of Purification out of the system.

Her plan complete, she showers, dons her uniform, and seeks out Krolia. After reviewing her plan, Krolia makes some minor recommendations and agrees that Acxa’s plan is sound. Departing Krolia’s quarters together, they seek out Kolivan.

As Acxa enthusiastically lays out her plan, Kolivan listens with great interest. He asks Krolia for her opinion.

“It’s well laid out, and well thought out. This will work. But she’s going to need additional resources to pull this off.”

“What do you need, Acxa?”

_“There are three likely routes in and out of the Solar System that lead back to Galran space. My forces can cover the central sector, the most likely avenue of approach to and from Earth. I need forces to cover the other two. I’m asking if we could possibly have Zethrid’s group cover one, and Ezor’s group cover the other.”_

“You realize you’re asking me to shift the entirety of the Blade of Marmora forces to cover this sector.”

_“Yes, Blademaster I am. But this is an extraordinary circumstance. Sendak is the biggest threat we’ve faced since Zarkon. But this is also our opportunity, with Voltron, to crush the Fire of Purification. With them out of the way we can turn our attention back to face a severely weakened Galra Empire.”_

“Very well. I’m convinced. Let’s put your plan into motion. All Blade of Marmora forces will deploy to this sector. Blade headquarters will transfer to the forward positions you've designated. Zethrid and Ezor will deploy to cover the two sectors you’ve designated for them. Krolia, you are the overall strategic lead and will coordinate activities between our three field commanders. Acxa, you are the forward strategic lead. This is your operation. Let Krolia know if you need anything.”

_“Yes, Blademaster. Thank you. You won’t regret this.”_

“I will place one operational constraint on you, Acxa. You will maintain an observation-only posture, at least until Voltron shows up. After that we adapt based on the situation. Sendak surely suspects we are operating out here, but he doesn’t know we are here in force."

"For now, let’s keep it that way.”

**The Infinite Void (Opening of the second scene from Chapter 8 The Journey Within of Rejected by the Galra)**

Three phoebs later, the Paladins encounter a dark region of space. It is total blackness. No stars, no lights anywhere. Lance asks Pidge for her assessment. “Hey Pidge, why is it so dark out here?”

“I can’t be sure, but my theory is that this area is surrounded by some kind of nebula that blocks most of the light.”

Lance does his best to show off his scientific expertise…or lack of it. “Oh, yeah. Must be a patch of that dark matter I’ve heard about.”

“That isn’t what dark matter is!” Pidge thinks to herself that Lance can sometimes be adorably annoying. This isn’t one of those times. Now, he’s just annoying.

And, speaking of annoying, there’s Hunk. “Although, when it’s this dark I guess it doesn’t matter, right guys?”

“HUNK!!! Knock it off!”

“This is why no one rides with me anymore, isn’t it?”

Keith, reflecting on experience, comes up with an idea. “Guys, I think I might have a thought on how to get the Lions back to full power.”

“And you’re just now telling us this?”

“Well, I’m sorry, Lance, I guess the travel through the infinite void of space without my mother or my girlfriend has left me a little out of sorts for the past few phoebs.”

“Oh. Yeah. What is it?”

“It’s difficult to articulate, but remember when we were fighting Zarkon…and we were hit by that beam that drained all of our Quintessence?”

Allura was an observer aboard the Castle of Lions during the battle Keith is alluding to. “Yes, you were all completely incapacitated.”

“That’s right, but we managed to regenerate enough power to keep fighting.”

“Yeah. We repowered Voltron ourselves.”

“Exactly. And I think that’s how it’s meant to work. Ever since we became Paladins, we’ve been relying on the Castle’s crystal to keep the Lions charged. But if we were a team of fully-realized Paladins, we wouldn’t need that.”

“I…I can’t help but feel this must all be my fault. You were able to recharge Voltron before, but since I joined…”

“It’s no one’s fault Allura. Being a Paladin of Voltron takes training. We just haven’t had time to focus on working together to find our balance in this configuration.”

“Well, we’ve got nothing but time now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter remains. The Paladins are moving closer to Earth, and the Blade of Marmora are standing by to meet them.
> 
> To those who've stuck with this story since the beginning, thank you!


	11. Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voltron returns to Earth, while Matt Holt and Acxa thread their way through the Fire of Purification forces to join them. Emotional goodbyes and an equally emotional reunion comprise the highlights of the final chapter of The Marmoran Generals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ties together elements from Chapters 9 and 10 of Rejected by the Galra. Additional details are added to the elements from those chapters, and additional content is provided to provide context, mostly from Acxa's point-of-view. This is especially true in the last section of this chapter when we gain insight into her thoughts as she listens in on Pidge and Keith's briefing about the Zaiforge cannons.

**The Threshold**

The big hope for Earth’s rally from the brink stands on the edge of the Milky Way. It has taken the Lions one decaphoeb to make the journey from their starting point near Diabazaal to their home galaxy. Eight phoebs have passed since the Black Paladin and Lotor’s top General went their separate ways.

Keith closes his eyes, and while concentrating as hard as he ever has, reaches out to the Goddess of the Universe. “Goddess…what do I do now?”

To his surprise, and relief, she responds. “Lead, Keith Kogane, as you were born to do. You are the Black Paladin of Voltron and the leader of the Seven Paladins. Trust your instincts, your Lion, and your team. You are not alone. The White Paladin will soon join you in the upcoming battles. They will bring the White Lion to life and will be of great aid and comfort to you. The Seventh Paladin will join you in due course. When you need me most, call for me. I will be there to guide you. You may not see or hear me, but you will know I’m there. Until then, the fate of all universes is in your hands.”

Keith closes his eyes to focus and concentrate. After a dobosh he opens them, a clarity of purpose fresh in his mind. “Ok. I know what we need to do.” Aware of the Galra invasion force, Voltron makes top speed to engage with the enemy.

**The Watchers**

Sendak is not the only one watching for Voltron’s return. Arranged and spread out across the orbit of Neptune are twenty Coalition advance scout ships. They are monitoring the activities of the Fire of Purification and their ongoing occupation of Earth. More importantly, they are a tripwire for anything entering the Solar System. After phoebs of searching for a specific electronic signature, it finally appears. Following their protocol, the scout who finds it contacts their supporting Blade of Marmora cell.

Master Chief Meltok takes the call from the scout ship. “Are you certain your readings are correct?”

“Affirmative. We traced them to the large gas giant, Saturn. It’s the yellow planet with the rings.”

“Very well. Move in to investigate. Let command know we have a promising lead and check in with the Senior Commander once you find something.”

Pausing for a moment, Meltok makes a request to the scout. “And don’t take too long, Matt. Her patience is growing thin.”

“Krolia’s patience…or Acxa’s?”

Matt can almost hear the eye roll in Meltok’s reply. “Affirmative. Need me to clarify that for you?”

“Negative, that’s crystal clear. Ok then. No pressure. I’ll keep you posted on what we find.”

Meltok ponders his next move for a moment. “Get me Senior Commander Krolia. Priority One Communication.”

“Krolia, Meltok here. I’ve just received word from Matt Holt. He’s picked up a signal that may indicate the presence of the Lions. Voltron may be back and in the Solar System. They’ve traced it as far as Saturn, then the signal was lost. Matt is investigating.”

Even though he’s watching her through a viewscreen, Meltok can see that Krolia is beside herself with a mixture of joy and apprehension. “Do you think the Fire of Purification spotted them…or worse?”

“Negative. The Fire of Purification communication channels are showing normal traffic. If they’d spotted or engaged Voltron there would be ten times the chatter on their frequencies.”

“Good. Have you told Acxa yet?”

“Not yet, but I will. I want to be certain we have positively identified Voltron. I don’t want to get her hopes up needlessly, but I owe it to her to let her know what we found.”

“I disagree. Say nothing to her. I’ll advise Kolivan.”

“You do realize she’s going to hate me for not telling her right away.”

“Hate is a strong word, Meltok. I prefer to think of her reaction as ‘highly pissed and angry.”

“Krolia, did I do something to piss you off? Angry Corillian females are among the deadliest creatures in the known universe, and half-breed or not she’s got a nasty temper when she’s riled up. And when she finds out I’ve held back information about someone she cares about…”

Krolia smiles at Meltok (or smirks, he can’t tell what she’s doing). “Yes, that’s true. I’ve seen her temper. Thankfully she’s slow to anger. But if she does I have confidence in you. You’ve handled worse.” Krolia ends the transmission, and Meltok sighs heavily.

He looks up and mutters a short prayer. “Supreme Spirit, please watch over me. I’m too young to die.”

**Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t**

Krolia opens a subspace communication channel to Kolivan and briefs him on the possible arrival of Voltron.

“Thank you for letting me know, Krolia. How long will it take before we get confirmation that the signals Matt picked up are Voltron?”

“I expect him to know within the next quintant. I’ve not told Acxa yet, nor has Meltok. I want to be sure Voltron is back before we get her hopes up.”

“I’m still concerned Krolia. Acxa has done a good job keeping her emotions in check these past three phoebs, but once she finds out Keith is back in the Solar System, anything could happen. I’m worried her feelings for him will cloud her reactions to the dangers Sendak presents.”

“I’m concerned as well, Kolivan, but I’m also optimistic. She’s taken the lessons from that raid on Sendak’s supply ship to heart. I really do believe she’ll maintain self-control this time. However, I agree with you that we need to take precautions. I’ll be the one to tell her Voltron is back, and when I do I’ll give her an explicit warning.”

“Krolia, have you thought more about the plan we discussed on how best to deploy Acxa, once the Paladins have been located?”

“Yes, Kolivan. I think it makes perfect sense. We just need to be ready to adapt to whatever the circumstances are in order to get her where she needs to be. She has too much raw talent for it to be wasted out here.”

“I agree. Keep me posted on the situation.”

**The Rear Guard**

The Rings of Saturn

A lone Coalition advance scout ship scans the rings of Saturn, looking for a specific signal. Interference from the rings is causing great distortion, but this ship has the equipment to clean it up. After several vargas of searching, they find what they are looking for.

“Are you sure the frequencies match, N-7?”

“Yes, Matt. The signals match. All five of them. We can confirm the Voltron Lions are in this system and on that moon.”

Matt Holt ponders his next move. He has been monitoring the Galra invasion of Earth almost since the beginning. The confirmation that the Lions have been located, along with fragments of intercepted radio signals from Earth resistance cells regarding the Paladins indicate to him that their intelligence is correct.

“Then it is true. Open a secure line to command. The Blades will want to know about this.”

\---------------

Blade of Marmora Command Ship, Outside the Orbit of Pluto

On her command ship posted just outside Earth’s Solar System, Krolia ponders Matt’s information. Based on earlier intelligence she’s received, it’s clear that the Paladins are on Earth. Now there is confirmation that they left the Lions hidden on a moon inside Saturn’s rings. It is apparent they are masking their presence on Earth as the Lions are a dead giveaway they’ve arrived.

Krolia thinks to herself, ‘What are you up to, Keith?’

“Matt. Maintain surveillance but do nothing to reveal your presence to Sendak. The Paladins want to remain hidden, and we’ll do nothing to compromise them. If the Lions move from that moon, notify me immediately.”

_“Roger that. Out.”_

\---------------

Acxa is with Krolia on her command ship and listens to the entire conversation, to include the intelligence that the Paladins are on Earth. “Well, Acxa. There you have it. Somehow, the Paladins slipped through not only our scouts but Sendak’s as well. They hid the Lions and made their way to Earth.”

Acxa is beside herself. She has a flashback to the time shortly after she left Matt Holt’s rebel cell, when she was by herself on an isolated moon during Voltron’s three-decaphoeb absence. She recalls how her heart soared the quintant she heard Pidge’s radio transmission. She was hyper-excited that day, just as she is hyper-excited now. The difference is, this time she is keeping her feelings under control.

Krolia sends another message, this one to Kolivan. His reply is quick in coming. “You have no doubt this intelligence is accurate?”

“The source is impeccable, Kolivan. It’s Matt Holt. We know where the Lions are, and we know where the Paladins are. What we don’t know is why they are masking their presence on Earth. My guess is that they are looking for information about Sendak’s plans and any weaknesses there may be in them.”

“Very well. Execute the plan to move the combined Coalition and Blade forces to their advanced positions between the seventh and eighth planets of Earth’s Solar System. Acxa’s current forces will also move to those positions and be the reserve. Krolia, you are in operational command of the combined forces. Once Voltron initiates their attack on Sendak, move in with all available forces to assist.”

Acxa is NOT happy at all with these orders.

She has been spoiling to enter this fight for some time. Now Kolivan is stopping her for some unknown reason, and she lets him know of her displeasure in no uncertain terms. “_Kolivan, I don’t understand. Why are you taking my command from me? You know I want to get into this fight!”_

“I have a more important mission for you. Make your way to Earth to contact the Paladins and the Earth forces fighting Sendak. They need your expertise and combat experience. They are good at defending a position, but they have no experience with offensive operations against the Galra. You do. You are no good to them out here.”

Kolivan now cuts directly to the chase. “Besides…I know where and with whom your heart lies in this fight. You’ve made that very clear to me. It’s obvious just by looking at you.”

Try as she might to keep her emotions in check, it’s clear to Acxa that Kolivan can read her like a book. _“I can make my way to Earth, but once I get there they will see that I’m Galra and either kill me outright or lock me up. I’m no good to anyone if that happens.”_

“Take Matt Holt with you. His father is leading the resistance forces on Earth. Matt can vouch for you until you can contact the Paladins. Keith will back him up, I’m sure. There will still be a trust factor to overcome, but I believe you’ll eliminate that once they see you in action. You earned my trust, you can certainly earn theirs.”

“_That trust factor issue is larger than you realize. The last time I saw Sam Holt, I kidnapped him and turned him over to Zarkon. I doubt he’s forgotten that, and I’m not sure he’ll forgive it.”_

“You’ve overcome bigger challenges. You’ll find a solution to this one.”

Acxa ponders her next move. She’s been chomping at the bit to get into this fight for some time, and this is her best opportunity. Kolivan’s plan is fraught with risk, but that’s never stopped her before. It’s not stopping her now. Not when she’s so close to keeping her promise to Keith.

_"Very well, Kolivan. I’ll do it. When do I leave?”_

“Immediately. As soon as you rendezvous with Matt, make all speed to Earth.”

_“Understood.”_

“Acxa, there is one more thing. Keep a clear head at all times. This battle will be very fluid. You will be forced to read and react quickly. Sendak will spring surprises on you. You must be prepared to deal with them, and you _must_ keep your emotions in check. No matter what happens.”

She thinks about her answer for a moment. _“Sendak doesn’t scare me. I’ll deal with whatever he throws at me. No promises on the emotions, but I will do my best to control them.”_

Kolivan paints a worst-case picture for her. “You need to do better than your best! While this operation is in play, you must set aside _all_ emotional attachments. Acxa, you or someone you care about deeply will be dead if you don’t maintain focus on the mission. Do I need to make that any clearer to you?”

A chastened and humbled Acxa gives him her reply. “_No, Blade Master. Your message is clear.”_

“Good! May the Spirits be with you and guide you, Acxa. Good luck!”

Ending the transmission with Kolivan, Krolia puts the plans into motion.

“Operations, this is Senior Commander Krolia. Notify all ships we are proceeding with Operation Titan, to commence in five vargas. I am leading the operation.”

Operation Titan calls for the movement of Blade and Coalition forces to the area between Neptune and Uranus, putting Saturn between her forces and Sendak’s screening patrols. Krolia wants to be close by when the Paladins launch their attack against Sendak. Krolia does not have the forces to fight Sendak head-on, but she can and will initiate action against Sendak’s rear echelon, forcing him to pull combat units from Earth to fight her. By doing this, she hopes to improve the chance of success for Voltron.

“Acxa, I’ll join you in the fight as soon as the opportunity presents itself. You’ve made great strides in the past three phoebs but take Kolivan’s warning seriously. Mission first. Focus on the situation, pick your spot, then engage. That’s the best way you can help the Paladins right now.”

Looking Acxa straight in the eye, and striking straight at her heart, “It’s the best way you can keep Keith alive.”

Make that two people who can read her like a book. _“I don’t need the lecture, Krolia. I take Kolivan’s warning very seriously. I know what’s at stake. My mind is clear, and I know what must be done.”_

“Good. See to it that it stays that way. You are more important to defeating Sendak than you realize.” Krolia’s words will soon prove to be prophetic.

**Turnover**

Krolia softens her tone and asks for a favor. “Acxa, there’s one more thing I want you to do for me.” She reaches behind her and grabs her Blade and its sheath. “Keith is a Blade of Marmora without his Blade. He’s closer to the enemy than I am. He’s going to need this. Will you give this to him for me?”

Acxa reverently takes the Blade from Krolia. _“Of course, I will. He’ll be very happy to get it. I know he’ll put it to good use.”_

Krolia sighs, swept by a wave of sadness. Her son is so close, yet so far away. She envies Acxa. She’ll get to see him soon, whereas Krolia will have to wait a bit longer. “Give him a big hug for me, Acxa. Tell him I love him.”

_“He already knows that, Krolia, but I’ll tell him. Don’t worry. He’ll get lots of hugs.”_

Krolia shoots her a sly smile. “Just don’t squeeze him too hard. He’ll need to breathe.”

Acxa smiles back at her. _“Then I’ll just have to squeeze you hard.”_ She steps in to give Krolia a tight hug. _“Thank you…for everything.”_

“You’re welcome, Acxa.”

Acxa wants to say more, but Krolia stops her. “Don’t say goodbye. I’ve said too many goodbyes to people I…to the people I love. I’ll see you soon.”

Acxa is not and never has been comfortable expressing love to someone. Not since her mother died. Instead she closes her eyes and gives Krolia one more squeeze. “_Then…so long for now, Krolia. Be safe.”_

“You too, love.”

_“Krolia, what will become of my group? Meltok and I worked so hard to train them. I want to know…that they’re in good hands.”_

“Have no fear of that Acxa. I’ll be taking command of the group. Meltok is already aware that we are sending you to Earth, and he’ll be staying with the group to ensure leadership continuity. He just doesn’t know when you are leaving. I’ll let him know you’re leaving now.”

Acxa nods and smiles at Krolia, then steps to the communications console and contacts Matt Holt to put Kolivan’s plan into motion. _“Matt…I will rendezvous with you at the Lions moon around Saturn. We have an important mission to carry out.”_

“Roger. May I ask the nature of the mission?”

_“You’re going home. And I’m going with you. It’s time for you and I to join this fight. Can you contact your father to let him know we’re coming, without the message being intercepted?”_

The enthusiasm in Matt’s voice is obvious. “Roger that! No worries on the message security. You just get here!”

**This Isn’t Goodbye**

Heart racing, she sprints down the hallway toward the Hangar Bay. Waiting for Acxa outside the access hatch of the fighter she will take to her rendezvous with Matt Holt are Master Chief Meltok and Sergeant Bars.

Bars is the one who steps forward and speaks to her first. Wringing his hands, he is clearly upset by what is happening. “Senior Commander, you didn’t think you were going to slip out of here without saying goodbye, did you?”

That they both came to see her off touches her deeply. _“Not for one tick, Bars. If you and Meltok weren’t here, I’d call for you.”_

Acxa came to rely on Bars since their first mission. He’s been with her on every mission since then, and he became one of her two most trusted subordinates. It was her recommendation that spurred Kolivan to promote Bars two ranks, making him second in rank to Meltok in her group. He’s lived up to the expectations of his rank ever since, and Acxa is proud of him for that. In some ways it’s as if she and Bars grew into their respective roles together.

“I wanted to wish you good luck, and to say thank you. Not only for saving my life back on Wordaki…I owe you for that…but for everything you’ve done for me since. Well, not only for me, but for your whole group. I wish we could go with you…you know, to watch your back for you…like we’ve done every mission since Wordaki. But, I understand why that can’t be.”

He pauses, his eyes beginning to fill. “Oh hell, I suck at saying goodbye.” Extending his hand, he says, “Good luck, Acxa.”

Acxa takes his hand but instead of shaking it she goes completely out of character and pulls Bars in to her and gives him a tight hug. She steps back, looks him in the eye, and speaks from her heart. _“Thank you, Bars. You saved my life by getting me off that Fire of Purification ship, so we’re even on that score. It’s been an honor to have you on my team. I am so proud of you. I am going to miss you so much.”_

Her goodbye to Bars complete, she turns to Meltok.

Meltok crosses his arms and speaks in his usual gruff tone of voice. “I hope you don’t think I’m going to go all mushy like Bars here. I’ve seen officers come and go. You’re just one more.”

Her Master Chief is putting up a hard front, but for once Acxa sees it for what it is and calls him out on it. _“Then why are you here, Master Chief?”_

“Because of all the officers I trained, you are the one who stood out above the others. The one who took everything I taught her to heart and applied it. The one who balanced the needs of the mission against the needs of her team and got it right almost all the time. Although you are one of the most stubborn people I ever met…you are the best officer I’ve had the privilege of mentoring and serving under, bar none.”

Acxa smiles, raises an eyebrow, and chuckles. _“Including Krolia?”_

Meltok smiles and laughs. “Including Krolia, and you can tell her I said that.” He pauses for a moment and takes one step towards her. “You are going to do great things for the Earth forces. Of that I have no doubt. I look forward to hearing about your adventures. Just remember what I told you, when we were coming home from our first mission together. Trust your gut instinct and don’t overthink things.”

Now Acxa’s eyes are the ones filling up. When she first met Meltok, she’d been warned that he was an old-school, hard-nosed Master Chief who chewed up new officers and spit them out. She found that the old-school and hard-nosed part was correct. But she also saw the method to his madness, the tough-love techniques he used to train new officers. He identified her strengths and weaknesses and made it a point to focus not only on improving her weak areas but playing to her strengths as well. She learned more about leadership from Meltok in eight phoebs than she did from Lotor in four decaphoebs.

_“Dammit Meltok, don’t think you’re getting away with just a handshake.”_ She steps toward her Master Chief and gives him a tight hug. _“Thank you, for everything you taught me.”_

The hug is returned as a tear trickles down the cheek of her mentor. “Thank you for allowing me to mentor you, Acxa.” Breaking their embrace, he gives her some final words of encouragement. “You’re about to keep a promise you made to someone dear to you, and you’re about to help Voltron save a planet. Make us proud.”

Looking Meltok in the eye, she bites her lip and nods. _“I will.”_

"Would you do one more thing for me, Acxa?"

_"Of course. What is it?"_

"Tell my nephew not to do anything stupid. At least not until I get there to bail him out."

A slow, sly smile creeps across her face. _"I'll tell him...but you know how stubborn he can be."_

Acxa salutes her two senior sergeants, who in turn snap to attention and return it. Giving them both one more smile, she reminds them _“This isn’t goodbye. Spirits willing, we’ll see each other again.”_ She spins on her heels and steps rapidly into her ship.

She hopes they didn’t see that she is crying.

**The Moon of Lions**

They stand in awe at the sight in front of them. Even though she’s spent the last six decaphoebs of her life fighting against or with the Lions, or being in their presence, the sight of them together is still breathtaking.

_“There have been times, over the past eight phoebs, when I wondered if I’d ever see the Lions again. And here they are. I just wish…”_ She chokes on her words for just a moment. Hearing the emotional hitch in her voice, Matt Holt finishes the sentence for her.

“…that the Paladins were here. I get it. I miss my sister. I’m guessing you’re missing Keith?”

Looking at the ground, Acxa sighs expectantly at the thought of seeing Keith again. _“That would be a correct guess Matt.”_ Turning to face him, she speaks firmly and resolutely._ “We need to go. I have a promise to keep. How long will it take us to get to Earth?”_

“Considering we have to run the blockade without being seen, it will take just over a quintant.”

She turns and looks up toward Earth. Whispering to herself, Acxa’s thoughts turn to the man who risked his life to save hers several times. Now it’s her turn to pay him back and help him save his birth planet. “_Hang on, Keith. I’m coming to help.”_

**Transit**

Acxa activates her monitor and studies the Fire of Purification force deployments they need to navigate through. Thinking through the details that need to be checked off, one comes to the front of her mind. _“Matt, have you let your father know we’re coming?”_

“Yes. I told him I was inbound to Earth with a passenger. A Blade of Marmora Senior Commander.”

Something about the tome of Matt’s voice gives her an overwhelming feeling of trepidation. _“You didn’t…by any chance…give him my name, did you?”_

“No, and we need to talk about that. Remember the first time you and I met? At the prisoner exchange?”

_“I remember it vividly.” _

On the day in question, Acxa was still a General, still opposing Voltron and the Coalition, but was estranged from Lotor and was serving Zarkon. She was working a prisoner exchange in which Lotor would be traded by the Coalition to Zarkon in return for Sam Holt. Acxa, along with Zethrid and Ezor, had kidnapped Sam from the research facility where he was being forced to work by the Galra. He was the bargaining chip the Generals used to stay Zarkon’s hand from killing the three of them. Zarkon in turn, knowing Sam Holt’s value to the Paladins, used him as a bargaining chip to get Lotor…for the purpose of killing him.

“Trust me Acxa, he remembers it vividly as well. He’s under the impression that the Galaxy Garrison will turn operational command over to the Blade of Marmora Senior Commander I’m bringing with me. I’m sure he’s not going to be happy to see you.”

Acxa slumps in her seat and imagines a worse-case scenario. _“That’s what I’m afraid of. They’re going to take one look at me and it’s going to be all over.”_

“Don’t worry. You know I’m going to stick up for you. Based on what you told me, so will Pidge. And you know Keith will stand with you. Between the three of us, we can change his tune.”

_“But what can I do, Matt?”_ The more she thinks about the situation, the more nervous she becomes.

“Fall on your sword.”

_“I’m sorry…you want me to impale myself on my Blade? I’m sure that would make your father happy, but what good will that do?”_

Matt rolls his eyes and exhales. “Oh my God, you are still so literal. It’s a figure of speech, Acxa! I don’t want you to literally fall on your sword and kill yourself. What I’m advising you to do is to own up to your mistakes. Admit you were wrong. That you made some horrible decisions in the past.”

_“You really think that will help?”_

“Yes, I do. When Pidge and I were growing up, we would on occasion…ok on a lot of occasions…do stupid stuff that would get Mom or Dad…or both…mad at us. Every time we tried to deflect and not take the blame, things always turned out badly. But, every time we owned up to our mistakes, Dad went easier on us. It’s important for him to see people own up to their mistakes. I guess it makes them redeemable in his eyes.”

_“Ok…if you think it will work, I’ll try it. I just hope I don’t get my head shot off.”_

“It will work, and you’ll keep your head. Nothing will happen to you. Just remember if anyone tries to hurt you they’ll have to deal with Keith. That’s not a pleasant prospect.”

Several vargas pass as Acxa silently contemplates the various scenarios under which she will meet Sam Holt again. She mulls over what Matt told her about Keith’s reaction should she be detained. She recalls Keith’s promise to her when they started their journey to Earth, that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. Realizing there are an infinite number of possibilities, and recalling Meltok’s advice not to overthink things, she resigns herself to the fact that she needs to be prepared to deal with events as they happen.

Her silent reverie is broken by Matt. “We’re coming up on the Fire of Purification’s outer defense ring. Are you sure these transponder codes will work?”

_“They worked when we raided the supply headquarters ship. I guess we’ll find out. Just go straight in as if we know what we’re doing. We need to lose ourselves in the crowd.”_

As the two-seat fighter approaches the outer defense ring, Acxa engages the transponder signal. _“Now, we should get a ping back. The fighter’s communication system will translate it…”_ Before she can complete her sentence, the ping is received. Looking at the communications console, Acxa smiles. _“Code accepted. Let’s keep going.”_

“You sound surprised.”

_“I am surprised that they didn’t change the code. They must not know how we got on the ship. We did create a bit of a stir when we left.”_

“From what I heard, you blew a huge hole in the side of the supply ship.” Pointing to it as they pass, Matt says, “Look, they’re still repairing the damage you did to it.”

A sly smile paints itself across her face. _“So they are…”_

Reaching Earth, Matt lands the fighter in an isolated area under cover of darkness about ten kilometers from the Galaxy Garrison base. “We’re about two clicks from our rendezvous point. The Garrison is sending a vehicle out to meet up with us.”

Arriving at the rendezvous point about thirty doboshes later, they see three vehicles waiting for them. “Stay masked, let me do the talking.”

Matt approaches the security detail and identifies himself. “You’re clear to go to the base, sir. But this Galra…they can’t go. They could be a spy. We need to detain them for questioning.”

Matt gets into the young officer’s face and puts him on notice that his proposed actions are ill-advised. “Lieutenant, detaining her will be the biggest mistake of your life. Senior Commander Combari is a close personal friend of Keith Kogane, the Black Paladin of Voltron. You understand what I mean by ‘close personal friend’, don’t you? If you detain her he will view that as a threat against her person and will not take it very well. Trust me, Lieutenant, you don’t want to threaten in any way someone close to the Black Paladin. She’s Galra, that’s true, but she’s here to help us. Now, I believe my father is expecting us. Will you take both of us to see him? Or do you want me to tell him that the Senior Commander is being detained? I’m sure he’ll pass that on to the Black Paladin.”

Contemplating Matt’s veiled threat, the Lieutenant backs down. “That won’t be necessary, Mr. Holt.”

Turning to Acxa, the Lieutenant attempts to apologize. “I’m sorry for the delay, ma’am. You’re welcome to come with us to the Garrison.”

Matt sees Acxa’s entire body tense and her fists clench. He whispers to her. “Not a word or you’ll blow this.”

He turns to the Lieutenant. “Senior Commander Combari thanks you for your invitation Lieutenant.” He then whispers in the Lieutenant’s ear. “She hates being called ‘ma’am’. If you want to keep your head, don’t do it again.”

Seeing Acxa’s hand gripping the handle of her Blade tightly, the Lieutenant apologizes again. “My apologies, Senior Commander. I meant no offense.”

Acxa takes a deep breath and releases her hold on the Blade handle. _“No offense taken, Lieutenant.”_

**The Threat Revealed**

Arriving at the gate to the Garrison, the Lieutenant expedites their entry through security. Checking on the whereabouts of Commander Sam Holt, he returns to Matt and Acxa to inform them.

“Commander Holt is attending a briefing for Admiral Sanda being given by the Black and Green Paladins. He asked that you be brought to the briefing room when you arrived. If you will follow me please, I’ll take you there.”

Acxa’s knees begin to shake, realizing just how close she is to seeing Keith again. _“Thank you, Lieutenant.”_

They are quietly ushered in to the briefing room, where they take a position in the back of the room, unnoticed by those in attendance. At the front of the room she sees Pidge, the Green Paladin, addressing the assembled group. In a seat at the front of the table, backing up Pidge…she sees him. The person she’s come halfway across the universe to find.

Keith.

Pidge is briefing the group on what she and Keith found at a Galra ground installation they infiltrated a few vargas earlier. “Sendak has built Zaiforge cannons. Our intel indicates the cannons were just completed. They could launch at any time.”

Hearing that Sendak has Zaiforge cannons surprises her. She knew he was looking to build them, but after Ezor intercepted the shipment of Zaiforge cannon lenses she thought that threat had ended. Apparently Sendak acquired lenses from another source.

Someone that Matt identifies as Commander Iverson, speaks next. Being unfamiliar with Galra weaponry, Commander Iverson asks the obvious question. “What exactly is a Zaiforge cannon?”

“Planet killers. If these cannons launch and are fully charged, Sendak will be able to destroy Earth in seconds.”

Hearing his voice for the first time in eight phoebs, Acxa’s knees weaken, her body trembles, and the butterflies return to her with a vengeance. She forces herself to listen to what Keith is saying, but it’s impossible for her to deny the emotional high of seeing and hearing him again.

“So, what do we do, Keith?”

“Ideally Nadia, we attack all six bases at once, allowing them no time to stage a counterattack.”

Acxa turns and whispers to Matt. “_Nadia?”_

Matt shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know her.”

“That’s not possible”, comes the retort from someone who appears to be a senior officer.

Matt whispers to Acxa. “That’s Admiral Sanda. She is the Commanding Officer of the Galaxy Garrison.”

“If we had our Lions, it could be. We’ll have to find another way to retrieve them, since the ship we rode in on crashed.”

“Your lions are orbiting another planet, Keith. There’s no way to get you to them. Plus, there are only five Lions.”

Acxa takes an immediate dislike to Admiral Sanda. She despises the condescending manner in which Sanda addresses Keith. Warning flags go up in Acxa’s mind, and she resolves to keep a close eye on her. Trust is earned, and this Admiral Sanda is not earning hers.

Keith addresses how they will attack the sixth base. “Raptor Squadron would need to attack the sixth cannon.”

Acxa turns to Matt again. Anticipating her question, Matt shrugs his shoulders, letting her know he has no idea what Raptor Squadron is.

She whispers, _“You’re no help…”_

Someone she doesn’t recognize speaks next. “We’d love to, but we don’t have that kind of range.” They appear to be very young, she’s guessing they carry the rank of Lieutenant, and they are probably a fighter pilot. She also notices Keith tensing up as this person speaks. She wonders if this is the Griffin that Keith told her about.

Coran has a simple answer to the dilemma of limited range of Raptor Squadron. “There should be enough Faunatonium to boost Raptor Squadron to the sixth base and back.”

Acxa is glad to see Coran. She remembers him as someone always looking for solutions to problems rather than bemoaning their existence. He will prove to be very useful in the coming quintants and movements.

Leave it to Pidge to bring everyone back to reality. “That’s great and all, but Admiral Sanda has a point. We can’t get to our Lions.”

Or so she thought. Pidge just gave her the opening to reveal her presence, and she’s not going to waste it. She speaks from the back of the room.

_“You don’t need to go to them Pidge. They’ll come to you.”_

Hearing a familiar voice but not quite placing it, all five Paladins and Coran spin around to determine where it is coming from. Focusing on Keith and his reaction of shock and disbelief, Acxa can see the recognition in his eyes the moment he realizes who she is. She watches him as he stands, visibly trembling, leaning on the table for support.

Admiral Sanda, in a highly irritated voice asks, “And who may I ask are you?”

Hearing the tone in Admiral’s voice, Acxa grips the handle of her blade, ready to give this Sanda person an answer she’ll never forget. Before she can do something she will regret, Matt puts his hand over the one on her Blade, looks her in the eye as he is shaking his head no, and tries to smooth over the situation.

“Everyone. Forgive the intrusion. For those that don’t know me, I’m Matt Holt. I’m a resistance leader in the Voltron Coalition. And this is Blade of Marmora Senior Commander…”

Grinning from ear to ear, Keith finishes his sentence for him.

“Acxa Combari.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of this work ties us directly back into the beginning section of Chapter 11 Heart of the Lion in the work Rejected by the Galra. 
> 
> Some people may say after reading this work that the Acxa presented here is OOC from the Acxa presented in VLD. I respect those opinions, but I also remind everyone this is an AU. I've tried to have Acxa be as close to the 'original' as possible; for example she is still very formal in addressing people, she takes things literally (yup, threw one into this chapter), and she's got the height advantage over Keith. To that last point, the Keith in this AU is a well-built 6 feet 4 inches tall, and Acxa is at least 5-6 inches taller than him.
> 
> To those who read the eleven chapters of this work, thank you so much! To those of you who may have read the entire Galra Chronicles series, words can't express my gratitude! If I've given one person enjoyment by their reading this, I've accomplished my goal.


End file.
